For several media including The Team et The Parisianthe French sprinter has announced that he is ending his rich career.
He is a figure in French athletics who is bowing out. At 34 years old, sprinter Christophe Lemaître announced this Thursday and to several media including The Parisian et The Teamthat he was ending his rich career. Still the record holder of the French record in the 200 meters (19 seconds 80), Lemaître made this announcement on the eve of the French Championships. Physically worn out and after yet another injury, he will not participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In comments relayed by The Team , he explains. “At the start of the season, I told myself that everything would depend on this year, on how I would feel, on how I would progress… I saw that I was still capable of doing good quality training, but the results weren’t following. I had this calf injury, it destroyed the last hopes I had. My body couldn’t keep up, even if I did things well. That’s why I decided to stop. I’m going to do athletics for fun, I’m not going to bother doing high-level anymore.”
Multiple medalist
In the early 2010s, he performed and shone, notably winning three European champion titles in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m. He was also the first white sprinter to run under 10 seconds in the main event. Christophe Lemaître had won the silver medal in the 4x100m at the World Championships in Daegu the following year as well as the bronze in the 200m behind the untouchable Usain Bolt and Walter Dix. Two medals at the London Olympics in 2012 in the 4x100m (bronze) and in the 200m in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro (bronze) complete the Frenchman’s fine trophy cabinet.
