France Télévisions is the sole broadcaster of the world athletics championships held in Oregon.
Twenty-eight French athletes take part and hope to shine well, two years before the Olympic Games in Paris.
We will be able to follow Renaud Lavillenie in the pole vault, Kevin Mayer in the decathlon and lots of new faces.
Stéphane Diagana, double world champion in the 400m hurdles and consultant on France Télévisions since 2007, will bring the competition to life alongside Alexandre Boyon, Benoît Durand and Nelson Monfort.
LE FIGARO. - How are these world championships taking place for the first time in the United States?
Stéphane DIAGANA.
- They are held in Eugene, Oregon, a university town where the culture of track and field athletics and running has been very strong since the 1970s. The competition takes place in the very beautiful Hayward-Field stadium which hosts a stage of the Diamond League every year.
It's a small stadium but the fervor will be very big there because it is, in fact, the first time that the United States has hosted a world championship while the first was organized... in 1983 and the Americans always arrive first in terms of World Championship medals!
Two years before the Paris Olympic Games, is this an important meeting?
Even if another world championship will take place next year in Hungary, due to a shift in events due to the pandemic, it is an important event to see the new faces who are starting to assert themselves.
Read alsoAthletics: the United States hosts its first Worlds
Who will be the stars and the new international nuggets to follow?
There will be the Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis whose notoriety begins to exceed athletics and holder of the world record.
On the 100 and 200 meters, the faces are not known and recognized as could be Usain Bolt or Maurice Green but full of young emerging talents.
There is no leadership but a succession battle with very promising athletes like Erriyon Knighton or Noah Lyles in the 200m.
Among the women, Americans Abby Steiner and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as well as Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah will have to follow.
Not to mention the young American Melissa Jefferson.
Which French will be to follow?
Five of the seven French athletes to have won a medal at the last three world championships will be present.
However, the athletes of the France team are a little in difficulty this year.
They either perform less well, suffer injuries like Pierre-Ambroise Bosse or face increased competition like Renaud Lavillenie.
We are currently going through a transition and our eyes are on those who can carry the hopes at the 2024 Olympic Games. I am thinking of Sasha Zhoya in the 110m hurdles who has an incredible learning curve and technical maturity.
He is someone who has already performed very well and can still improve.
It is out of the ordinary, I have never seen that.
There is also Cyrena Samba-Mayela who has a lot of talent too.
"Whether you have the build of a rugby player or whether you are small and fine, there is always a discipline that can be suitable in athletics".
Stephane Diagana
What do you like about being a consultant?
I like to share my passion for my sport which pleases me because it is mixed and universal and allows everyone to express themselves.
There are many personal stories to tell.
Whether you have the build of a rugby player or whether you are small and thin, there is always a discipline that can be suitable.
Apart from your role as a consultant, what are your activities?
I am the volunteer president of the Nice Côte d'Azur Athletics club.
I am also a corporate speaker on sports and corporate health topics.
I also work for sports brands such as equipment manufacturers or companies that integrate sport into their communication, especially running or road racing.
