Clémence Calvin's last marathon dates back to April 2019. In Paris.
A race dominated head and shoulders in front of its audience with, as a result, a French record in 2′23′'41.
However, a few weeks later, his time was invalidated due to his suspension by the anti-doping authorities.
Five years later, the Vichyssoise covered 42.195 km in competition for a much less thunderous result.
The 33-year-old finished the Barcelona marathon in 2′31″23.
Which places it very far in the French hierarchy as the Paris Olympic Games approach.
The race for qualification was already looking complicated.
Two of the three tickets are already reserved for Mekdes Woldu (2h24′43′') and Mélody Julien (2h25′00′').
It now seems almost inaccessible.
As a reminder, she must beat the French record established in February in Seville (2′24″12) by Méline Rollin, currently holder of the third sesame.
However, Calvin finished this Sunday more than seven minutes behind this time.
Read also Matheuse, precocious and strong mind: who is Méline Rollin, new French marathon record holder?
After an interesting first third, led by a hare, she gradually collapsed.
Also finishing very far from her personal best (2′26″28), approved in 2018 when she won silver at the European Championships.
She still has until April 30 to beat the odds.
Authorized to (re)wear a bib since December 17, the 2018 European marathon vice-champion made an encouraging recovery in the 10km of the Prom Classic in Nice (4th in 32′54).
Then leaving for a five-week internship in Kenya, she made this stop in Barcelona an important meeting.
“The Games are not a dream, it’s a goal”
“The Games are not a dream, it’s a goal,” she told the newspaper L’Équipe in January.
If I meet the criteria and I'm needed, I'll be there.
But I'm not going to fight against an iron pot, I gave for that.
I run above all for myself.
I leave myself the possibility of coming back.
»
The Clémence Calvin affair began a few days before the 2019 Paris marathon when the athlete was provisionally suspended by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) for evading an unannounced test in Morocco where she was he trained with his companion and coach Samir Dahmani.
Also readClémence Calvin affair: what really happened in Marrakech?
The affair took an incredible turn when Calvin, denying the accusations altogether, explained that one of the agents commissioned by the AFLD to control her had not presented himself as such and had attacked her in the street, his child even falling from his arms during the altercation.