The French team opened its medal count on Saturday at the European Championships in Rome thanks to Cyréna Samba-Mayela and Auriana Lazraq-Khlass. The first won the European title in the 100 hurdles and changed dimensions at the same time. In the lead from the second obstacle, the Frenchwoman won in 12”31 (+0.8 m/s), a new French record (she had already raised it to 12”43 in the semi-finals) and best global performance of the year.
She thus becomes the tenth world performer of all time. She beat the Swiss Ditaji Kambundji (12”40) and the Polish Pia Skrzyszowska (12”42) and achieved a success which makes her a medal hope for the Paris Olympic Games.
A little earlier, Auriana Lazraq-Khlass, 25, had created a surprise by finishing second in the heptathlon, with a total of 6,635 points, behind double Belgian Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam (6,848 points). With this total, the Frenchwoman achieved the minimums for the Paris Olympic Games, which were 6,480 points. To get this podium, Julien Choffart’s protégé beat or equaled 6 personal records and exploded her personal best, which had stood at 6,209 points just a few weeks ago.
Raphaël Mohamed at the foot of the podium
The evening could have been even richer for the Blues. Raphaël Mohamed (finally fourth) was just two hundredths away from winning, with his time of 13”45, the bronze medal in a 110m hurdles race over which the Italian Lorenzo Simonelli finished in 13′. ’05 (+0.6 m/s). It was one of the three Italian successes of the evening, with those of Leonardo Fabbri in the weight (22.45 m) and Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs in the 100 m (Matéo 8th in 10”22). In 10”02, the Transalpine achieved its best time of the summer but not yet the minimum for the Olympics.
In length, Tom Campagne largely fulfilled his contract by ranking fifth with 8.08 m (+1 m/s), achieved on his first attempt. The competition was dominated by the Greek Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, who won by falling twice to 8.65 m with a wind of -0.3 m/s each time.
Robert-Michon only 9th
Gabriel Tual showed authority to qualify for the 800m final. The Girondin easily won his semi-final in 1’45”03 and will be a strong contender for the podium. Fourth in the other semi-final in 1’45”62, Paul Anselmini was eliminated.
In the 20 km walk won by the Swede Perseus Karlström (1h19’13”), the Frenchman Gabriel Bordier took a good fourth place in 1h20’45”, while Kevin Campion (11th in 1h22’21”) failed in its bet to achieve the Olympic minimums.
The disappointment of the evening came from Mélina Robert-Michon, only ninth in a discus competition won by the Croatian Sandra Perkovic-Elkasevic, who won her seventh consecutive continental title with 67.04 m, while the Frenchwoman won is stopped at 60.87 m.
Finally, over 5000 m, the Norwegian Jacob Ingebrigtsen showed his speed to win a new continental title in 13’20”11.
