If the tricolor camp could harbor some regrets with Quentin Bigot’s 4th place in the hammer on Saturday in Eugene, the second morning of the World Championships smiled on the French.
Hammer: Bigot narrowly fails
Quentin Bigot ranked 4th in the hammer with a throw of 80.24m, close to his personal best (80.55m). The French had a superb contest, but it was not enough to get on a podium where we find the Polish Pawel Fajdek who won his 5th world title with a throw of 81.98 m. He is ahead of his compatriot Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki (81.03m) and the Norwegian Eivind Henriksen (80.87m). “I knew that a small 80 meters would not be enough, had to explain the protege of Pierre-Jean Vazel. I’m disappointed because I finish fourth but I’m having a good competition. »
“On the last three jets, I tried to take risks, but it wasn’t easy. It’s still the best competition of my life.”
3,000 steeplechase: French record for Finot
We knew that Alice Finot was an athlete who was fearless. The French showed it once again by winning her series of 3000m steeplechase, offering herself the French record in 9’14”34. A record that she had already beaten in Huelva (9’21”41) for her first race of the season, then during the Diamond League in Stockholm on June 30 (9’19”59). “I accomplished all my goals, she let go. I gain confidence. I told you, if I had a race with the intensity around the times I was aiming for, that’s what had to happen. I am very proud because I ran intelligently. » Impressive in the first series, the Kazakh Norah Jeruto (9’1”54) will be the favorite for the final (Thursday at 4:45 am).
110 m – 400 m hurdles: full blue card
The three Frenchmen entered in the 110m hurdles qualified for the semi-finals, as did Wilfried Happio in the 400m hurdles. But it was not without some fears for Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Sasha Zhoya. The first only qualified on time (5th in his series in 13”49, -0.5 m/s) and his younger brother made a big mistake on the 8th obstacle which could have cost him dearly (3rd in 13”48, -0.3 m/s). Just Kwaou-Mathey took 3rd place in his series in 13”32 (+0.2 m/s) after a clean race.
Third in his series of 400m hurdles in 49”60, Wilfried Happio had taken care not to draw on his reserves. “The key word was control: squalify for the semi-finals without giving too much energy in this first round, should he explain. A few years ago, I would have wanted to beat my record in the playoffs. But there, I am running with the big boys and I know that the first round is used to see where we are. »
Long uncertain due to a hamstring tear in his right thigh, the Norwegian Karsten Warholm reassured himself, winning his place in the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles without seeming to force in 49”34, controlling from the start at the end with a wide lead over all its competitors at the start of the home stretch.
10,000m: Gidey finally!
We were expecting Sifan Hassan. After a waiting race, the Olympic 10,000m champion hoped to bring her speed to bear on the last lap, but the Dutchwoman was clearly not in the same form as last year in Tokyo. . She had to settle for 4th place in a race won by the world record holder, the Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, victorious in 30’9”94 (mpm). The latter, who had taken the race on her own, was able to resist the return of the Kenyans Hellen Obiri (30’10”02) and Margaret Kemboi (30’10”07), Sifan Hassan being credited with 30’10’ ’56. At 24, Gidey won the first major title of his career.