The French athletics team, which came very close to zero points at the World Championships in Budapest last summer with only one silver medal (in the men's 4 x 400 relay), arrives in Scotland without much enthusiasm. poster.
“We want our athletes to be at their best on D-Day
,” Romain Barras, director of high performance at the French Athletics Federation (FFA), simply said in mid-February.
“I never commit to the number of medals.”
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In the absence of Kevin Mayer, who is preparing for his Olympic qualifying decathlon at the end of March in the United States, the chances of podiums rest mainly on the hurdlers.
Kwaou-Mathey and Belocian on the hurdles
Respectively 3rd and 5th performers of the winter, Just Kwaou-Mathey and Wilhem Belocian can believe in the medal in the 60 meter hurdles, even if gold seems out of reach as the discipline has been dominated for 10 years by the American Grant Holloway .
But behind the world record holder (7 sec 27 this winter), the podium is open since ten other hurdlers ran in less than 7 sec 50 this winter, including Kwaou-Mathey (7 sec 43) and Belocian (7 sec 44).
After breaking his personal best this winter,
“JKM”
repeats it: he is coming to Scotland to win his first world medal, he who already has two European medals (bronze) to his name.
Also on the high hurdles, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, surprise world champion in 2022 in Belgrade, wanted to defend her title even if her preparation in the United States is mainly focused on the summer and the Olympics.
The Frenchwoman is however only 11th in the world results this winter with 7 sec 87, two tenths of the best hurdlers of the season.
Hope Collet on the pole
Fifth at the Worlds in Budapest and fifth world performer of the winter with a new record raised to 5.92 m, pole vaulter Thibaut Collet can also believe in the medal.
As usual in the pole vault, world gold seems promised to the Swede Mondo Duplantis but behind him, there are six who have jumped 5.90 meters or more.
Thibaut Collet, who aims at 24 to cross the symbolic barrier of 6 meters, has never been a medalist in an international championship (excluding youth categories).
Makenson Gletty on the heptathlon
If Kevin Mayer, the world record holder in the decathlon, is preparing to achieve the Olympic minimums at the end of March in the United States, another Frenchman hopes to distinguish himself in Glasgow in the heptathlon.
Makenson Gletty, 24 years old and in constant progress for several seasons, beat several of his personal bests this winter and is in 4th place in the winter reports.
The young Frenchman has revenge to take after his disillusionment during the European Indoor Championships last year: starting on the basis of his record, he scored no points in the pole vault and abandoned the competition.
Also selected, Azeddine Habz (1500 meters) and Jean-Marc Pontvianne (triple jump) were ultimately withdrawn due to injuries, the French Athletics Federation said on Wednesday.
The French selection
60m: Orlann Olière, Jeff Erius
400 m: Amandine Brossier
800 m: Benjamin Robert
1500 m: Agathe Guillemot
60 m hurdles: Solenn Compper, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, Wilhem Belocian, Just Kwaou-Mathey
Triple Jump: Ilionis Guillaume
Pole vault: Margot Chevrier, Thibaut Collet
Heptathlon: Makenson Gletty