« I had already faced Béatrice Osty and finished several minutes behind. I'm very happy to have followed it for so long, it's even a big surprise », admitted Clémence Merckling, second in the race and champion of Finistère hopeful for her first cross, Monday November 11, 2024. A performance which confirms the progression of the one who signed her first athletics license in 2024 in Bannalec.
Align with “more cross”
However, the continuation of its plowing program is uncertain. Quite simply because she doesn't have all her weekends free, athletics not being the only sport she practices successfully. “ I also play football. But, as soon as I don't have a match, I line up for cross country “, she explains. She plays, in fact, in Bréquigny in the third national division, after having trained at FC Nantes.
With her position in midfield, she continues the races and the kilometers, which then allows her to hold her own against athletes of the caliber of Béatrice Osty, victorious in the senior championship in Quimper. The latter also admitted “to have been surprised that she (Clémence Merckling) hangs on for that long.” A beautiful tribute which makes the young runner want to line up “ on more cross ».
For his part, Pierre Quinquis (Stade Lesnevien), titled among the men, no longer has this availability problem because he has swapped crampons for spikes. “I had a cruciate ligament rupture, he comments. After this injury, I threw myself into athletics. » When talking about his success, the former footballer did not hesitate to highlight the qualities he developed on the green rectangle: “ I took advantage of the power in my legs, thanks to playing football, to take down Erwan Richard on the last climb. In football, we also develop the quality of our support. »
So for the next cross-country races, distrust will be required for the competitors of its athletes, because, as Béatrice Osty says, “ in cross country, the footballers are always very good ! »
