2023-08-21 23:44:11
As Grant Holloway, wrapped in the American flag, celebrates his 3rd world title in the 110m hurdles, Sasha Zhoya smiles. A few minutes earlier, at the end of the semi-final, the experienced hurdler had taken the young tricolor prodigy in his arms, whose time of 13′’15 was downright promising. In the final, the step was perhaps still a little too big for Sasha Zhoya, European and world junior champion, who is 22 years old and is playing his second season over high hurdles.
He finished 6th (13′’26), while Wilhem Belocian was 8th in 13″32. “I’m happy anyway, breathes Sasha Zhoya. I lost the race in the blocks, I slept a little, I thought too much about my start in the semi-final which had been good. If I could have reproduced it, it might have happened differently. I’ll take good note of it for later. “It is the one who is the most psychologically alert who wins, believes Wilhem Belocian. And also the one who makes the fewest mistakes, and I made a lot of them today. If I had rushed less, I could have grabbed places. As they say, I learned and I’m pumped up to work next year. It is an important milestone. »
Often invited to the grand ball of the world final of a French specialty since Guy Drut’s Olympic title in 1976, the Tricolores have unfortunately often failed in the quest for medals. In 40 years of World Championships, only Ladji Doucouré (Zhoya’s coach), crowned in 2005, and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde finally bronze medalist in 2019, after his 2 failures in 2013 and 2015 have been able to pull out of the game.
Still, one year from the Paris Olympics, all hopes are allowed. Wilhem Belocian, now trained at Insep by Teddy Tamgho, has finally gone through a season without a big physical problem, even showing great things in Budapest, especially during a series of mastery. At 22, Sasha Zhoya, on whom a lot of hope (and pressure) rests, invites herself to a senior world final for the first time.
Eliminated in the semi-finals last year in Eugene, Zhoya showed much more control than in Oregon. “When I arrived, I said I wanted to improve on last year, I clearly did that. I missed the experience of a final, even if in terms of time, 2nd and 3rd place were playable, ”says Zhoya. “Two French in the final, it shows that emulation and tradition continue, insists Belocian. I hope there will be three of us in the final next year at home in Paris, to make the stadium scream! »
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