Scene/Presentation
June 27, 2026 – Etienne Nappi
Photos : © Baptiste Daniel / CaptureMySport
Share
This Saturday, French athletes in the hall and in the overheated stands of the Charlety stadium shared their anticipation of reuniting with the capital’s public. Sirena Samba-Majela (100m hurdles) and Jimmy Gressier (5000m), as well as revelation Zakaria Dia (pole vault), will be looking to shine at the meeting in Paris with the support of more than 19,000 expected spectators. About forty Tricolors will compete individually.
Last year, Sirena Samba-Majela demonstrated her status as an Olympic vice-champion in Charlety without spikes or bibs. ” I came to greet the audience– recalls the 25-year-old hurdler. It did me a lot of good, they gave me a lot of love. “But after a year in which she ” experienced a descent into hell between a calf muscle injury and depression in an athlete trained by Tonya Buford-Bailey in Texas was ” looking forward to the performances ahead ” ses supporters ” and feel their energy “
It will be done this Sunday at the end of the day in the 100m hurdles, which promises to be explosive against Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambungi, the reigning world champion, Nigeria’s Toby Amusan, world record holder in this event (12ft 12in), or America’s Grace Stark, last year’s winner. The European champion from Rome, who clocked 12:50 in Georgetown last Saturday, is approaching her best level. But it’s not than the passage– she warns. The girls ahead are going very fast, my discipline continues to develop and I need to catch up with them. »
Jimmy Gressier performed well last year on the blue slope in the south of the capital. On a damp evening – although more tolerable than the scorching week endured by the Parisians and much of the French – the future 10,000m world champion broke away and lowered the French record to 12 minutes 51 minutes 59 minutes. Although, in his own words, he was then at 80% of his capabilities. A year later, the northerner has changed status thanks to his Tokyo masterpiece and is approaching the Paris meeting in ascending form. ” I’m full of confidence and 100%announces new French 3000m record holder (7ft 28in 67in at Montreuil ten days ago). I can only do better. » To the point of breaking the European record of Swede Andreas Almgren (12ft 44in 27in), who will be at the start of the race, as will American Grant Fisher, an Olympic medalist, and Kenyan Jacob Krop, a two-time World Championship medalist? Why not, especially with the support of the spectators who will be overheating during the last event of the meeting, and not only because the daytime temperatures are expected to slightly exceed 30 degrees.
Dia in the deep end
There will also be a few new faces among the Blues’ nearly forty participants. So is Zakaria Dia, a Norman, French and world pole vaulting nugget who reached 5.82m two weeks ago, making him the world’s second-best under-20 player of all time behind Mondo Duplantis. To get into the deep end of the Diamond League, the Pont-Audemer AC member will face Swedish world record holder, Greek Emmanouil Caralis, and his French compatriots Thibaut Collet, Baptiste Thierry and Renaud Lavillenie. Very heavy. But not enough to impress anyone who attended the Paris meeting.” with friends when (he) was little. To be on the track with the best jumpers in the world is already crazy.– he exclaimed with the naturalness of his 18 years. When I found out that I was taken, I was finished again! It’s a big competition, but I don’t expect more. » To prepare, he took every chance on his side, working on his approach to the event with his mental coach.
“Iconic place” for Tual
If necessary, he will also be able to get some last-minute advice from two athletes who have already shone at the Paris meeting, Gabriel Thual and Just Kwaw-Mathey. The former wrote the most beautiful page of his career there two years ago, breaking the French record – 1’41”61. ” As soon as we enter this stadium, a sea of emotions arises.– admits half-distance runner from the USA Talens. It remains an iconic place. There is a certain energy that takes over you and forces you to leave all negative thoughts behind. You’re just here to have fun. It’s magical! » The hurdler from Evreux AS finished 2nd in 2023 and set a personal best of 13”09 – which has since dropped by a tenth. After preparations delayed by injury on the sidelines of the French Elite Indoor Championships, he still needs to regain “the confidence and technical skill (he) had this winter.” The Paris meeting gives him the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
Anaïs Bourgoin (800m), Agathe Guillemot (1500m), Azeddine Habz (1500m, non-Diamond League) and Marie-Julie Bonnin (pole vault) will be among the other tricolor headliners at the meeting in Paris, where, with a blue crowd of fans led by the National Olympic Committee, the atmosphere will undoubtedly at times resemble that of the Olympic Games 2024. The French should use it for galvanizing.
French on the run
110m hurdles Men Stars: Erwann Cinna, Just Quaw-Mathey, Romain Lecoeur, Thomas Wilkes
Men’s pole vault Stars: Thibault Collet, Zakaria Dia, Renaud Lavillenie, Baptiste Thierry
Women in pole vault : Marie-Julie Bonnin, Bérénice Petit.
Women’s 100m hurdles Stars: Sasha Alessandrini, Leticia Baptiste, Cyrena Samba-Wisdom
4×100 m Mixed : France national team among adults, national team of France under 23 years old.
400 m Men : Muhammad Abdallah Kunta
800m women Stars: Anaïs Bourgoin, Renelle Lamothe, Clara Lieberman
Spear of a Woman : Jade Maraval, Alizée Minard
women’s 400m : Isabel Black
800 m Men Stars: Louis Huerra, Yanis Mezian, Gabriel Thual
1500 m Men (excluding DL): Paul Anselmini, Azeddine Habz, Tituan Le Grix, Anas Lagti Chaudar
Men’s 3000m steeplechase Stars: Pierre Boudi, Nicolas-Marie Daru, Baptiste Fourmont, Luc Le Baron, Oscar Thébault
1500 m women Stars: Berenice Klee-Merle, Adele Gay, Agathe Guillemot.
5000 m Men Stars: Etienne Daginos, Jimmy Gressier