It’s almost a full box. Of the five French relays entered in the specialty World Championships in the Bahamas, four have already qualified for the Paris Olympic Games this summer (July 26 – August 11).
Paradoxically it was the men’s 4x400m relay, world vice-champion last summer in Budapest, which was unable to secure a place at the Games, the second relay runner Thomas Jordier having had to stop his race, injured. His teammates will have another chance to validate their ticket to the Games on Sunday during a repechage race.
The four other relays, mixed 4x400m, women’s and men’s 4x100m and women’s 4x400m, validated their qualification for the biggest global sporting event this summer. So many good opportunities to shine in a selection in need of contenders for individual Olympic podiums.
The world relays contested Saturday and Sunday in the Bahamas offer 14 qualifying places for the Games in the five relays contested on the track.
Four series were run on Saturday for each discipline: the first two teams in these series qualified directly for the finals on Sunday and therefore for the Olympics.
This is the case of the 4×400 m mixed tricolor led by Thomas Jordier, a few hours before his injury, Amandine Brossier, Gilles Biron and Louise Maraval for a second place in 3′14′’71 behind Poland (3′13′’53 ).
“We saw the Eiffel Tower as the finish got closer”
Orlann Oliere, Gémima Joseph, Hélène Parisot and Mallory Leconte then ran in 43”09 behind the United States to ensure qualification for the women’s 4x100m, before being imitated by Mickael Zeze, Jeff Erius, Pablo Mateo and Aymeric Priam , winners in 38′’32 ahead of Great Britain. “We have been working on this objective for two years, I am happy to have validated the qualification,” commented Jeff Erius.
Shana Grebo, Fanny Peltier, Diana Iscaye and Camille Seri then propelled the women’s 4x400m to 2nd place in their series in 3′ 28′’06, behind Poland. “We didn’t think we would be able to qualify in the first race, but ultimately everything is possible,” rejoiced Diana Iscaye. “We saw the Eiffel Tower as the finish got closer,” smiled Fanny Peltier, thinking of their future Parisian summer.
The big names present in the Bahamas shone in the name of the collective, like the American Noah Lyles, qualified with the 4×100 m like the Italian Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, the Dutch Femke Bol, in the mixed 4×400 m, and the nugget from Botswana Letsile Tebogo, powerhouse of his team in the men’s 4×400 m.
Sunday will take place the repechage races with three series per discipline, for two qualifying places for the Games per series. Two places per event will remain up for grabs after the world relays, based on the results between December 31, 2022 and June 30, 2024.
