Ladji Doucoure dips on the line to take 60m hurdles gold (© Getty Images)
A large, powerful squad of 27 athletes have been selected to represent France at the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar (12 – 14 March).
The team includes reigning European Indoor champions Ladji Doucouré (60mH), the 2005 World 110m Hurdles champion, and Renaud Lavillenie (PV), who took World bronze last summer in Berlin during a season which saw him join the exclusive 6m club.
Another name to watch will be that of Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad, the surprise 2008 Olympic 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist, whose season in 2009 was ruined by injury just prior to the World Championships. He runs the 1500m in Doha.
In the Long Jump, following last weekend's national championships, Salim Sdiri and Kafétien Gomis with leaps of 8.24m and 8.21m, are now the current world season leaders, and so offer more French medal potential.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
Team for Doha
Women
60m MANG Veronique
60m SOUMARE Myriam
400m MICHANOL Virginie
1500m DEHIBA CHAHYD Hind
1500m FELIX Fanjanteino
60mH DIAWARA Aisseta
60mH DECAUX Alice
HJ MELFORT Melanie
Pentathlon NANA DJIMOU IDA Antoinette
Men
60m POGNON Ronald
60m TINMAR Teddy
400m FILLON Nicolas
800m HAUTCOEUR Kevin
1500m BAKHTACHE Abdelkader
1500m MEKHISSI BENABBAD Mahiedine
60mH DARIEN Garfield
60mH DOUCOURE Ladji
HJ HANANY Mickael
PV DOSSEVI Damiel
PV LAVILLENIE Renaud
LJ GOMIS Kafetien
LJ SDIRI Salim
TJ FOFANA Colomba
TJ TAMGHO Teddy
4x400m FILLON Nicolas
4x400m FONSAT Yannick
4x400m GRILLAS Hugo
4x400m MAUNIER Richard
