Sasha Zhoya, Just Kwaou-Mathey, Wilhem Belocian and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde will take part in the 60m hurdles at the Paris indoor Meeting, on Sunday February 9 at the Accor Arena. Formidable competitors for the Swiss Jason Joseph, reigning European champion.
On Sunday February 9, when the spotlights at the Accor Arena will be focused on the participants in the 60m hurdles final which has been in the dark until then, the Swiss Jason Joseph should, in all probability, be surrounded by the French hurdlers. At least four big French names in the discipline will take part in the Parisian meeting: Sasha Zhoya, Just Kwaou-Mathey, Wilhem Belocian et Pascal Martinot-Lagarde.
An explosive mix of generations with, on one side, the new guard embodied by the first two named. The so talented Sasha Zhoya22, perhaps found his breakthrough among the big boys at the end of the last summer season, by winning the prestigious final of the Wanda Diamond League in Brussels, a few days after lowering his personal best to 13”10. The athlete from Clermont Auvergne Athlétisme will experience a great first this winter since, although he is still the U20 world record holder for the 60 m hurdles in 7”34 (obstacles at 0.99 m), he is not is never aligned on this distance among seniors.
Pour Just Kwaou-Mathey26 years old, it’s time for the big comeback after a summer of 2024 without competition, due to a ruptured Achilles tendon in the spring. The one who wrote two of the most beautiful lines on his list in the gym – with bronze at Europe 2023 then at the 2024 Worlds – will inevitably have long teeth when it comes time to rediscover the French public.
Wilhem Belocian29 years old, behind in the 110 m hurdles after promising indoor races during the winter of 2024 – will try to rediscover the spark and the legs which allowed him to be crowned French champion in 7”44.
Farewells soon for Martinot-Lagarde
Finally, this Paris indoor meeting will have a particular flavor for Pascal Martinot-Lagarde. At 34, the man with eight European and world medals in the 60m hurdles is preparing to experience what should be his last indoor season, before hanging up his spikes. His goal a few months away from no doubt saying goodbye to the slopes: to have fun. It should be served on this level at the AccorArena, where the proximity between athletes and spectators allows the atmosphere and the decibels to rise. What he has already been able to feed off during his first five participations in the event.
The four Blues will not be too much to try to block the road to Jason Joseph. The 2023 European champion in Istanbul (Turkey) in 7”41 (Swiss record) is in fact in his garden in the south of Paris, as evidenced by his victories during the last two editions, with the key to the times in 7”48 in 2023 and 7”50 in 2024. But he will also have to deal, in addition to the French, with the experienced Cypriot Milan Trajkovic (7”51), or with the Americans Jamal Britt (7’’52) et Louis Rollins (7”56). So many obstacles on the way to the pass of three.
I’m buying my tickets for the Paris indoor Meeting!
The editorial staff
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