2024-08-03 12:37:41
Sam Kendricks can try to comfort him, but Thibaut Collet is not comforted. Lying on the ground on the track, close to the stands of the Stade de France where his favorites were installed, the best French goalkeeper of the season, fifth in the last World Championships, did not manage to qualify for the end of these Olympic Games.
His competition started rather well with the first wood being cleared to 5.40 m easily. But the task becomes complicated from the next pole, at 5.60 m. Afterwards, Grenoblois struggled to clear all his bars and finally failed at 5.75 m. He finished 14th in his qualifications but only the first twelve contestants will see the final scheduled for Monday August 5 in the evening.
“I’ll start by telling you that I’m very ashamed of my performance,” he told reporters after the match. I don’t understand. The last few weeks of preparation were very good, we worked very well. » In July, he even became the third best French player in history by clearing the bar of 5.95 m.
But from the heat, Thibaut Collet felt that he was not at his best physically. “I’ve been through hell,” he added. Physically it’s scary, I have nothing to answer even though everything is fine. The last two nights have not been good since we arrived in the village (…) but we are all in the same boat. » He also admitted that he had “a little bit of the incident”.
He hopes to pass “a final as in [son] dream”
“When we say the games are different, well it’s really different,” he admitted. I thought it didn’t necessarily get to me when I arrived with the third international work force of the year but that doesn’t mean anything. Today I failed my competition. I know this qualification will be tough and now I have it in my eyes. The Olympics are over, I’ll pack my bag and then we’ll go home. »
Unfortunately, Grenoblois also revealed that he has suffered from a knee injury this winter. “In January, I broke my cruciate bone in training but we made the decision to continue. (…) We told ourselves that it would take and it happened. It didn’t put me in the best position but I managed to beat my record in the winter and beat my record in the summer. Collet experienced a “complicated year 2024” but is moving forward in good shape at these Paris Games. “That’s not my excuse for the day, I don’t have it,” he admitted.
Thibaut Collet is also very sad for his family and for his fans who came in large numbers to Saint-Denis. “People take unpaid leave, others who spend a lot of money to come,” he said. I spend a lot of money to make sure that everyone is in the best conditions and that we have an ending like in my dream. There I saw myself as a fool, I was not qualified. He is a killer. »
Before him, two other representatives of the French team, Robin Emig and Anthony Amirati, respectively had to settle for a bar of 5.40 m and 5.60 m. There are no French lanterns at the end, scheduled for Monday August 5 in the evening. First since 2004 and the Athens Olympic Games.
#Paris #Olympic #Games #sports #eyes #sadness #Thibaut #Collet #final #pole #vault