Romain Mesnil of France in the Pole Vault qualifications (© Getty Images)
Angers, FranceWith a 5.70m leap Romain Mesnil beat Renaud Lavillenie, one of chief highlights of the French National Championships held over the weekend (23-25 July) in Angers.
Teddy Tamgho (17.11m at Triple Jump), Leslie Djhone (45.61 at 400m) and Mehdi Baala (3:45.92 at 1500m) confirmed their national leadership. However the best performance came from World and Olympic Shot Put champion Valerie Vili of new Zealand who threw 20.18m out of competition.
Mesnil - 'Today I was the boss'
The men’s Pole Vault was the highlight of the championships, with the anticipated dual between Lavillenie, the new French star since his 6.01m vault at the European Team Championships in Leiria, and Mesnil, the reigning World and European champion.
Lavillenie showed a good form, being successful at 5.40m and 5.55m at his first attempts. Damiel Dossevi and Jerome Clavier had an erratic debut but managed to jump 5.55m as well. Mesnil, defending his title, was full of confidence and opened his competition at 5.55m, a bar he mastered at his second try. The four athletes didn’t try 5.65m in order to focus on 5.70m, the bar required to go to achieve selection for the World Championships. This height was fatal for Clavier, Dossevi and Lavillenie, while Mesnil was superb on his first attempt.
“I’m satisfied with the title, even though I feel that I didn’t feel alright during my run-ups. I struggled during my 5.70m jump, but I coped with it.” The experienced Mesnil, 32, then had two unsuccessful jumps at 5.90m. “I always have difficulties to keep motivated for higher bars when I’ve won. The main thing was to confirm my leadership, even if Renaud jumped 6m this season, today I was the boss.”
Lavillenie, 10 years younger than Mesnil, utterly disappointed, said, “I will have to bounce back, it’s better to fail here than in Berlin.”
Baala returns with 1500m win, but still uncertain about Berlin
Mehdi Baala made a remarkable comeback on Friday (24). Running against Steeplechase specialists Bouabdellah Tahri, who recovered his European Record (8:02.19) earlier this month, and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, the Olympic silver medallist last year, Baala had to face a high quality field for his opening race of the season. His 3:45.92 win in a tactical 1500m showed that he fully recovered after calf injuries that plagued his season so far. Still, 2009 had started well for the double European 1500m champion (2002 and 2006), breaking national indoor records in the Mile (3:52.51) and 1500m (3:34.71). Injuries in both calves delayed his outdoor preparation, and his participation at the National Championships was required to achieve selection for Berlin.
In Angers, Mekhissi-Benabbad was left from the start, and feeling a minor groin pain, stopped after 250m. This unfortunate incident left training partners Baala and Tahri in a tactical dual, as the pack covered the first two laps in 63sec and 64sec. With 300m to go, Baala surged away and won easily (3:45.92) from Tahri (3:46.56).
“The race pace was ideal for me,” said the winner. “I ran with my usual tactic, coming back from behind. I’m not yet in my top form, but I’m satisfied today. I will now run in Monaco on Tuesday, in a faster race.” His coach Jean-Michel Dirringer indicated that if the time is not better than 3:36, Baala won’t go to Berlin.
Tamgho gets his Berlin qualifier
Angers was the last chance for Teddy Tamgho to ensure his qualification for Berlin. A 17.59 performer, the 2008 World Junior Champion had a pale outdoor season. During a cold and windy Friday afternoon, Tamgho exceeded by just one centimetre the 17.10m measurement required with his third jump (wind +1.8).
“I performed a consistent series (17.00m, 16.96m, 17.11m, 16.94m, 16.75m, 16.20m), but my jump rhythm was not good. My main thoughts go to (training partner) Benjamin Compaoré who couldn’t jump due to a heel problem. Just after his injury, I jumped 17.11m. I will go to Berlin to win.”
Martial Mbandjock also qualified for Berlin by the smallest of margins as he won the 200m in 20.58, 0.01 faster that the time required. In Germany, he will line-up at 100m, 200m and 4x100m.
Leslie Djhone didn’t force his talent to win the 400m in 45.61. “I planned my race to save energy for Monaco where there will be a big race. I used the National Champs as training for the rest of the season.” Twice Olympic and World finalist between 2003 and 2008, Djhone expects nothing but a medal in Berlin.
French women didn’t produce significant performances, a worrying fact one month prior to Berlin. Elodie Olivares, besides Tamgho and Mbandjock, was one of the three athletes to achieved a World Championships standard, winning the 3000m Steeplechase by 40sec with 9:39.39.
Vili beyond 20m again
The best performance of the weekend was actually turned in by New Zealand’s Valerie Vili in the Shot Put. Her series, 19.82m, x, 19.42m, 19.27m, 19.95m was concluded by a 20.18m, the sixth best throw of the year - Vili already owned the best five.
“I came there straight from New Zealand to support my husband Bertrand Vili, who won the discus throw with 61.14. This competition was a long-time plan, and a good preparation before Berlin.”
Pierre-Jean Vazel for the IAAF
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