Reims, France – The fourth episode of the new French professional circuit of “Lagardère Athlé Tour 2007” took place yesterday evening in Reims (17), celebrating the twentieth edition of its meeting.

Sprints provided the main attractions with Christine Arron gradually coming back from injury, posting her fastest time (11.23) since September 2005 and tough battles on men races. On their Club hometown, Eunice Barber (13.17 at 100m Hurdles) and Yohann Diniz (19:13.33 for 5000m Race Walk) checked the current status of their preparation before the French Championships (3-5 August in Niort).

European 100m record holder (10.73) Christine Arron, having caused a false start, came out of the block cautiously (0.215 reaction time) and didn’t pass fast starter Angela Daigle of the USA before the mid-way. The second half of the race was run in a relaxed and smooth style, while Daigle eventually faded to 11.56.

The Frenchwoman, 33, clocked 11.23 (wind +0.6), her fastest since September 2005.

“My times are getting better but i had to be extremely cautious in order to not repeat what happened in Strasbourg (she was disqualified for a second false start). There’s still a lot of work to do and I still lack freshness”.

Her new coach, Stéphane Caristan, explains: “Christine has had sleep problems for months and she is usually very tired at training. This 11.23 matches her current physical state, but we are looking for the shape she had the day of Strasbourg meet. Technically, she managed to produce a smooth acceleration between 20m and 60m and afterward she did what she has learned to do and done for years”.

Arron will take part to another 100m at the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in Monaco on 25 July before doubling 100m and 200m at French National Champs in order to qualify for both races in Osaka World Championships.

Campbell over Grimes in the photo

Mickey Grimes (USA) and Clement Campbell (Jamaica) had to wait a long time before the 100m winner’s name was announced. Campbell, in lane 4, had the quickest to reaction at the gun (0.131sec) and maintained his lead through the finish, resisting to Grimes’ pressure coming back from his left side.

The American leaned on the tape but photo-finish proved Campbell to be the winner in 10.151 with 0.005 margin. Both men were credited with a satisfying 10.16 time with nil wind. “I never had a reaction time like that”, says Campbell. “By 60m I was still leading, I was a little bit surprised because I’m not used to start that fast!” Qualified for Osaka after his second place at National Trials in a 10.10 personal best, the New York based Jamaican will now line-up in Monaco. Grimes, who failed to make the US team, will be seen in Tallin, Kaunas and Zaragoza meetings during the next ten days.

Consistent Montebrun

Manuèla Montebrun confirmed her good shape with a fourth in a row competition over 72m, after 72.77 in Strasbourg, 73.28 in Maison-Laffitte and 72.55 in Padova. Yesterday in Reims, Montebrun with a best of 72.89m, had all her throws land better than that of her teammate Stéphanie Falzon’s 70.01. During these four competition since her 4th place at European Cup (68.56), the Frenchwoman has shown consistency with 21 out of 22 measured throws over 70m, the shortest being 69.98m.

Doucouré has the will but now must find the way

Consistency is what Ladji Doucouré is lacking at the moment. The reigning World Champion at 110m Hurdles hasn’t managed to properly deliver a race this season, after a 2006 year disturbed by calf injury. Against -1.0 wind, Doucouré hit the 8th hurdle badly and produced his slowest time of the season with 13.59, beaten by Joel Brown (13.56).

“I’m in good shape though”, says the World champion, “at training I even surprise myself. The will to compete is there but i’m still trying to put everything together during a competition”. Brown, 1.77m tall, did the less mistakes and was a relieved winner in 13.56: “I’m coming off injury, I tore my left quad muscle. It was a very competitive race, I came out first, the Ladji came back, I took the lead again and so on, I’m very please to win here”.

Barber – mixed feelings

Eunice Barber, World Champion at Heptathlon (1999) and Long Jump (2003), took part to her first hurdle race of the summer. Beaten American Dawn Harper (12.88), Barber had mixed feelings about her 13.17: “I was more aggressive at training so I was expecting something better, but I was scared to run. It’s still encouraging because i didn’t started the race as fast as usual, I made a mistake and what I need now is to race other 100m Hurdles in order to run sub-13 soon. The main thing is to be cautious, stay healthy to arrive in good shape in Osaka”.

Her Reims Club teammate Yohann Diniz won the men’s 5000m Race Walk in a modest 19:13.33. “The sensation were not so good, I had heavy legs today coming back from a high altitude training camp. The main thing was to compete here with all my friends, I took a lot of pleasure from it”. The European 50km Champion will now enter into the last phase of his preparation, ahead of the World Championships.

Osaka standard for Boslak

Vanessa Boslak was the only French in Reims to set the national qualifying standard for Osaka. Starting the women’s Pole Vault competition at 4.35, she needed two attempts to clear this bar. She qualified for Osaka at her first try at 4.45 before three interested yet unsuccessful tries at 4.60m.

Other notable results include Karin Mey (RSA) at Long Jump (6.62), Julien Kapek at Triple Jump (16.68m), Nicolas Figère at Hammer Throw (77.60m) and Laurence Manfredi at women Shot Put (17.76).

P-J Vazel for the IAAF

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