Christine Arron of France wins the 100m in Oslo to remain in contention for the Jackpot (© Getty Images)
OsloFrench sprinter Christine Arron was one of only two women athletes to remain in contention for a share of the 1 million dollar TDK Golden League Jackpot after the curtain drew on the ExxonMobil Bislett Games here in Oslo, the third leg of the TDK Golden League series.
The 31-year-old European record holder overcame a poor start (reaction time of 0.209) to sprint past Olympic silver medallist Lauryn Williams of the USA and win her third Golden League meeting of the season in 11.06.
Williams who customarily starts very fast was once again ahead of the rest of the field but could not respond to Arron’s surge 60 metres into the race and had to settle for second in a distant 11.16.
“Overall I am quite happy with my race tonight as I wasn’t feeling well at all coming into this meeting,” explained Arron after she pleased the Bislett crowd with a well deserved lap of honour. “I have had flu since Wednesday and I have been taking antibiotics, which has obviously tired me down a lot.”
“I felt a little bit better when I woke up this morning but it still wasn’t great so I told myself ‘you still have 8 hours to get better, just wait and see what happens’. And then I felt ok in warm up so I thought I could do it; I could score my third Golden League win of the year.”
“I had a decent start but then a few metres into the race I was very low on my steps and that is when Lauryn Williams took the edge. It kind of annoyed me a bit to feel her ahead so I decided to get a grip and accelerate. And fortunately my legs responded well and I could win the race.”
Worried before the race
Although Arron was visibly pleased with the win here in Oslo, her sixth over 100m this season, the 2003 World relay champion admitted that it hadn’t been an easy task.
“It was a real struggle to put a good race together today. To be honest I was quite worried before the race, I wasn’t sure I was going to take it. If I hadn’t been in contention for the jackpot I wouldn’t have been running here in Oslo. But given that I am still in the race (for the million dollar) I said to myself ‘why not, let’s do it’.
Just over a week before she lines-up for the 100m first round at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Arron is happy to take the extra burden of being a Golden League Jackpot contender.
“I take the Golden League as a challenge, a game. I obviously want to rise up to the challenge but I don’t want it to become extra pressure. If I go all the way to the last meeting well that’s good; if I don’t I will just not worry too much about it and go on to whatever will happen next.”
With a smile she is keen to precise: “But I’d prefer to win it; the jackpot!”
“I think I have my chances this year. I know the Golden League has existed for many years now but this is the year when I can do it. With all of us sprinters having more or less the same level of performances it’s feasible. I just need to remain concentrated each time I step on the track.”
“But there are still three races left and I have to win them all. I think it’s all going to get down to a question of luck and I hope that luck stays with me till the end of the series!”
A podium in Helsinki?
Before embarking in a demanding end-of-the-season programme with the three remaining Golden League meetings of Zurich, Brussels and Berlin, Arron has a lot to deal with in the next fortnight.
And although she is quick to deny that she will be the woman to beat in Helsinki, Arron has hardly ever been in a better position coming into a major championship. Indeed since taking the 1998 European title in 10.73, Arron has struggled to step on the podium of an individual sprint championship since. Fifth at the 2003 Paris World Championships (she was 4th in 1997 and 6th in 1999) Arron couldn’t even reach the final at last year’s Olympic Games in Athens.
“The past is in the past and 2005 is a new beginning for me. I feel more comfortable with myself, I have a good team surrounding me and most important I think my body is finally back into top shape following my pregnancy of 2002.”
“As a result I have been able to train a lot harder this winter and that has also helped me build confidence. However I do not consider myself as a favourite for the World Championships.”
“I know I can run faster but I don’t know how much faster my competitors are capable of running. I think the World Championships will be won by the woman who will be in the best shape on the D day. To me no-one stands out.”
“Ok I’ve won quite a few good races and defeated excellent sprinters in the process but I’ve also lost one race this year,” she says referring to the Lausanne meeting where despite setting a season’s best of 10.94 she came third behind Williams and Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas. “But then I defeated Lauryn today and Chandra in Paris...”
However there is one athlete Arron has never competed against this season and that is 200m Olympic champion Veronica Campbell. Arron and Campbell should meet in the final of the World Championships in Helsinki and as the Frenchwoman would put it “the winner will be the best runner on that day!”
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF
