Athletics: "unrecognizable", Christophe Lemaitre will not go to the Tokyo Olympics

He was one of the heroes of the France team at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. After Kevin Mayer in the decathlon, Mélina Robert-Michon in the discus throw or even Mahiedine Mekhissi on the 3000 meters steeplechase, Christophe Lemaitre won in extremis a magnificent bronze medal over 200 meters behind Canadian Andre de Grasse and legend Usain Bolt.

Five years later, Christophe Lemaitre will not be on the trip to the Tokyo Olympics.

Author of 10 ″ 48 over 100 meters and 20 ″ 69 over 200 meters this season, far from his reference times (9 ″ 92 over 100 m, 19 ″ 80 over 200 m), the sprinter did not comply performance levels required by the French Athletics Federation (20 ″ 24 over 200 m) to hope to qualify.

Exit also his participation in the relay 4 x 100 m.

“Even if I am sad not to have fulfilled the criteria to qualify for 200m, which was the major objective of my season, it is also understandable not to have been selected in view of my season”, wrote- he as well on his social networks, this Saturday.

Good morning all.

As you can see, I am not on the list of athletes taken for the Tokyo Olympics, so ...

Posted by Christophe Lemaitre Officiel on Saturday, July 3, 2021

“Obviously the disappointment is there, adds Thierry Tribondeau, one of his two coaches with Pierre Carraz.

There is a lot of work and investment, especially since we had been able to carry out a complete preparation since October, without major physical glitch.

The tests for the month of April in training showed us that Christophe had returned to his very best level.

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"Badly reacted to the vaccine"

A return to form stopped dead at the very beginning of May. “Christophe tested positive for Covid-19 in October 2020, although asymptomatic. On May 4, he therefore received his only dose of vaccine. We were able to do a session the same evening, but he was already more tired than usual. The next day, he fell ill, ”continues his trainer. “We studied different possibilities, but it would seem that he simply reacted badly to the vaccine,” regrets Thierry Tribondeau. It was therefore physically weakened that Lemaitre presented himself in Savona (Italy) on May 13 to make his comeback.

“He was unrecognizable,” regrets the technician, referring to his time of 21 ”03 over 200 m that day.

Then follows a succession of cancellation of his participation in international meetings, a few unsuccessful minimum attempts, and finally a forfeit at the French Elite Championships in Angers.

The 2022 Worlds in the sights

Still in the process of resuming training, Christophe Lemaitre has only returned to peaks since the start of the week, but does not say goodbye to the end of his season.

It should align with a few meetings from the second half of July.

“He's a great champion, with more than 12 years of very high level in his legs.

He has this ability to go into battle, even in this kind of situation, ”says his trainer.

The Lemaitre-Tribondeau-Carraz trio will not give up with the goal of the next World Championships organized in the summer of 2022 in Eugene in the United States. "Rest assured, I have already raised my head and I continue to train for the meetings organized between July and September in order to end the season on a good note and with a smile", finally writes the quadruple European champion. Disappointed, but not dejected.