Youth took power on Sunday at the Questembert racecourse during the Morbihan cross-country championships. At just 21 years old, Ludivine Martel won her first senior title.
Second last year, the one who is still hopeful beat the last two departmental champions: Élodie Wanherdrick (AP Vannes), 43 years old, and Fatima Nogues (ACRLP Ploërmel), 38 years old.
A prestigious and expected podium. But not necessarily in that order. “I wasn’t expecting anything,” confided the AP Lorient athlete. I wanted to try to follow Fatima (Nogues). That’s why, at first, I looked directly where she was to stay behind her. And I tried to hold on to see what it would do. »
A heads-up Martel – Nogues
From the first round, Ludivine Martel and Fatima Nogues escaped and even the defending champion Élodie Wanherdrick could not keep up with their pace. What followed was an exciting mano a mano.
“I tried to give little taps to see if she held and, each time, she came back and accelerated,” explained the former junior Brittany champion in 2022. “So I told myself that she really had a lot of juice . »
But, gradually, the Lorientaise gained the upper hand. “As soon as she felt a little sluggish, I tried to accelerate, hold on and keep the distance. But until the end, I really didn’t expect anything. I said to myself, at any moment she comes back, it’s a strategy. »
Martel makes the difference in the technical parts
But no ! The former Guidéloise footballer, now 100% devoted to athletics, held her ground on the technical course at the Questembert racecourse despite the freezing cold. Even if at the beginning of the afternoon, at the time of the women’s hopefuls-seniors-masters race, the conditions were better than in the morning, for the youth races, when the grass was still covered with a thin layer of gel .
Fatima Nogues was never able to come back and finally failed 16 seconds behind the new Morbihan champion. “There were a lot of turns and I lacked a bit of technique,” analyzed the vice-champion. She got ahead of the games where she had to restart. The hole was there and I was unable to fill it. Bravo to her! She deserves her first place. »
Youth has therefore taken power in Morbihan! After Ludivine Martel, his teammate at Athlé Pays de L’Orient, Antonin Saint-Peyre, also a hopeful, retained his title acquired last year with the seniors.
Great promises before the Brittany championship which will take place in two weeks in Brest. And we will have to count on Ludivine Martel.
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