Martinot-Lagarde wins silver, Kwaou-Mathey and Pontvianne in bronze

by time news

Led by a diabolical Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, 2e in the 110m hurdles after another year marked by injuries, the Blues won three medals on Wednesday August 17 at the European Championships in Munich, with the two third places of Just Kwaou-Mathey (110m hurdles) and Jean-Marc Pontvianne (triple jump).

In an Olympic stadium a little calmer but above all moister than the day before, the finalists of the 110 m hurdles were presented to the sound of Sympathy for the Devil of the Rolling Stones, to believe that the DJ knows Pascal Martinot-Lagarde well.

Because the 30-year-old hurdler, sure of his strength, experienced, is a real devil ready to come out of his box at the right time, always in the final, despite the injuries and the sores that mark his career, and have further rotten his season, between a right calf injury, hamstring problems, two anginas and a blocked back, among others.

Read also: Euro athletics: Sasha Zhoya, the young talent who brings a smile to French athletics

For the twelfth time in 18 major competitions in his career (16 finals), Martinot-Lagarde managed to get on the podium, obviously setting the best time of his season (13”14), he who was defending champion, in addition to having already won 5 world medals (4 indoors).

Behind the Spaniard with a “wink”

As usual, this medal machine attempted its formidable ” broken “ and almost overtook the Spaniard Asier Martinez, who had taken the upper hand but only kept his lead by a thousandth of a second after examining the photo finish.

“It’s horrible but beautiful. We are in the same scenario but reversed four years ago, I was ahead of the Russian Shubenkov by a few thousandths. We are talking about a duel where it throws itself on the line as it can. But no regrets. At this level of time, a thousandth is not even the blink of an eye”Told « PML ». “In any case, look at my journey: I’ve had a hard time all season, and here I’m finishing on an excellent note. I have nothing to regret. Martinez rode an incredible race, breaking his record on the day of the final. »

Quite in contrast to Martinot-Lagarde, statue of a motionless commander behind his half-Robocop half-Terminator sunglasses, Just Kwaou-Mathey embellished his presentation in front of the public with several dance steps and a huge smile.

Two attitudes for two different generations, while Kwaou-Mathey, training comrade in Poitiers of sprint nugget Jeff Erius, achieved the feat of climbing the podium for his first international final at 22, after two years of an express progression.

In 13”33, this slender athlete was able to resist the return of the Swiss Jason Joseph, while Sasha Zhoya, for his first final too, fell at the end of the race for an anecdotal time. Footballer in his youth in Evreux, Kwaou-Mathey shone in Munich, in the city of his great friend Dayot Upamecano, star of the round ball with the Blues and Bayern.

Pontvianne in the footsteps of Teddy Tamgho

After two sluggish days marked by the early retirement on Monday of decathlete Kevin Mayer, the Blues had their first good evening the day after the bronze medal snatched at the end of the night – and appeals – by the long jumper Jules Pommery.

Read also: Jules Pommery, in bronze in the long jump, brings France its first medal at the European Athletics Championships

In addition to the hurdlers, Jean-Marc Pontvianne also distinguished himself for a great first with the triple jump bronze at the age of 28, validating only one jump (16.94 m). Pontvianne is part of the tradition of « triple » French, becoming the fifth tricolor to medal at the Euro after Serge Hélan in 1994 (2e), Teddy Tamgho in 2010 (3).e), Benjamin Compaoré and Yoann Rapinier (1is et 3e) in 2014.

The Nîmes, in addition to Sébastien Bouschet, his lifelong coach, has also been co-trained by ex-world champion Teddy Tamgho for eight months. He paid tribute to him on Wednesday: “His contribution, you can see it right away. I go from 7e in 2018 to medalist in 2022 with only eight months of work with him. I went to see him saying: “I don’t know how to do the medal”. He knew how to do it as an athlete and coach, he was the man for the job. Teddy thinks medal morning, noon and night. He doesn’t let anything go. »

Read also: European Athletics Championships: decathlete Kevin Mayer gives up, three weeks after his world title

The World with AFP

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