Total silence in the Ornano hall and several loud knocks.
False start and disqualification of Pascal Martinot-Lagarde in the 60m hurdles final of the Mondeville athletics meeting, this Wednesday February 7.
“The first false start of my career” said the headliner of the event, on the comeback and in search of minimums for the next deadlines.
And not the least.
The Mondevillais meeting, at the gates of Caen (Calvados), is on the route to the most beautiful: European and World Championships, and of course the Paris Olympic Games.
In the bays of a vintage Ornano hall, Romaric was not mistaken: “It was the year or never to come and attend!
Many athletes have the goal of being at Paris 2024. We feel that a competition like that helps us to arrive in good shape.”
A showcase for the Paris Games
With around 2000 spectators, the meeting was packed for an edition with a necessarily special atmosphere.
“The issues are different.
Everyone wants to be there.
The athletes are in the thick of it,” said the famous voice of athlete Patrick Montel, race announcer this Wednesday.
With a tight format, to innovate, the director of the meeting stage, Florian Rothenmacher, was precisely hoping for “exceptional performances.
Here, they are recognized because the competition is of a good level.
It's a very good showcase.
»
This is how, before his disqualification, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde had set his best time of the winter in 7''72.
In the triple jump, Cuban Leyanis Perez Hernandez jumped to 14.86 m, achieving the best winter world performance.
The French long jump hopeful record was beaten by Erwan Konaté at 8.04 m.
At a higher altitude, in the final minutes of the meeting, the public loudly accompanied Canadian Alysha Newman towards a personal best of 4.83 m in the pole vault.
And if the bar turned out to be too high, the athlete won (with 4.73 m) a tough competition, illustrating this year's climate of all challenges.
“Seven girls missed the first bar.
It puts pressure on,” whispered the winner.
Understand that the jumpers quickly competed at greater heights.
“We are in major championship conditions”
Margot Chevrier, five-time French champion, described “girls in great shape from the start. Everyone is feeling sick.
The competition starts high and the bars go up 15 by 15 (cm) instead of five by five or ten by ten.
The best in the world are there, it creates emulation.
» “We need these competitions that encourage confidence,” added Alysha Newman.
In this context, a meeting like this is an opportunity to heat up, beyond performance.
For her premiere in Mondeville, Margot Chevrier discovered “a small room, with few stands.
And actually, it was crazy!
We are in major championship conditions and the public is pushing!
We realize that we are being followed,” she smiled as she signed a jersey and took a selfie with a little girl.
The French athletes feel the expectation growing as the home Games approach.
Second in the small final of the 60 meters, Mallory Leconte beat her personal best in 7''26: "I came to look for competition and points to qualify for the indoor world championships and the Games.
Here, the public is close, the track is fast, there was more level, it sets the mood, it gets us used to it.
» The meeting will have benefited from these contested games.
Like Julie, along the balustrade, happy to project herself: “While watching the Games, we will be able to say to ourselves
Ah!
We saw them in Mondeville!
» With even more breathtaking performances.