2023-08-25 17:03:37
At the World Athletics Championships in Hungary, France has so far not won any medals. “Instead of arguing, we have to look at what we can save for next year”, for the Olympics, believes Jean Galfione.
“We are not going to create champions in a year”is alarmed on Friday August 25 on franceinfo Jean Galfione, Olympic champion in 1996 in Atlanta and pole vault specialist, while France’s record in Hungary remains stuck at zero, and the hope of winning a medal in the side of Kevin Mayer flew away on Friday August 25, the athlete having had to give up on injury.
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franceinfo: Did Kevin Mayer do well not to force today?
John Galfione: He had no choice. Achilles tendon inflammations are hard to get rid of. At worst, he would have made a first day by gritting his teeth, but tomorrow morning he would have woken up without being able to chain a second day. It’s much wiser.
Renaud Lavillenie is injured, Thibaut Collet is the only Frenchman to have qualified for the pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships, and Rénelle Lamote is the last French survivor in Budapest. Do you believe in Thibaut Collet?
Thibaut is a young pole vaulter who has been progressing slowly for two or three years, he has been French champion several times. Above all, he is present in qualifying to be present in the final stages. The objective for him is to rank as best as possible, he does not necessarily have a medal objective because there are many in front of him on the balance sheet. Nevertheless, he is a competitor, a surly, someone who likes to fight, who behaves very well in the championship. We don’t have any particular hope but it’s good to see good behavior as a champion.
The Paris Games are held in less than a year, are you worried about the French athletics team on this horizon?
I’ve been worried for a few years and I’m not the only one.
“Today, we discover that French athletics at a high level is not going well, but it has been for quite a few years”
Jean Galfione, 1996 Olympic champion
at franceinfo
The Olympics are coming, what were the means for the French team to arrive in a brilliant way on this showcase for France and sport? Today, athletics is the number one sport of the Games, and unfortunately we are not going to create champions in a year. Çbeen seven years that not much has been done to change a system, or put the means to be at the top of the bill. It’s been sad for a few years.
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How do you explain that ?
When you play at a very high level, you have complicated periods and phases. When you’re in the hole, you look back on periods that worked well: we saw French athletics at its peak in the 2010s, under the era of DTN Ghani Yalouz, when the director of the French teams was Renaud Longuevre. It worked very well, the rest was more complicated. Ghani is in the ministry, his services are no longer called upon, and Renaud has been fired and is in Israel. The big question is how to help athletes, managers and coaches be their best for a year from now. Instead of arguing, we have to look at what we can save for next year.
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