Leslie Djhone (FRA) in the 2008 Olympic semi-finals (© Getty Images)
Djhone, Doucouré and Mesnil beat back new generation – French indoor champs, Day 2
22 February 2009 - Liévin, France - The second and final day of the French National Indoor Championships held in the rebuilt Stade Couvert Régional in Liévin saw the favourites Leslie Djhone, Ladji Doucouré and Romain Mesnil maintain their national leadership from the new French generation.
The task was not easy for Djhone, double Olympic finalist at 400m, as the young generation was set to battle hard for the title. The previous day, 20-year-old Yannick Fonsat broke his personal best to set the fastest qualification time (46.97). On the other hand, Djhone decided to line up only two weeks ago, without specific preparation and a pair of 300m races (33.25 and 33.30) in the Liévin meeting (10 February) and in Bercy (13).
“I seldom ran indoors during my career, but this year I needed to break the winter’s routine and have fun,” explained the outdoor National Record holder (44.46). “I also wanted to know what I could do without specific training.”
Solid 46.06 PB for Djhone, but skipping Turin
During the final in Liévin, Djhone was ideally placed in lane 5, behind Fonsat. Both planned the same tactic to open fast in order to lead after the first lap, since it would be difficult to pass the opponent in the last 200m loop. “I told him to start fast but he was still a little too shy,” commented his long time coach François Pépin. Shoulder to shoulder at the bell (21.79), the experienced Djhone kept his inside lane from Fonsat and made a decisive surge in the opposite straight. Cruising at 300m in 33.5, Djhone maintained and increased his lead in the homestraight and the clock stopped at 46.06. It was a significant improvement in his personal best of 46.33 dating back to 2005, and was only 0.04 shy off the old French indoor record set by Stephane Diagana in 1992. Fonsat, second, improved to 46.82.
“This was my first and last race of the indoor season”, declared Djhone. “I never intended to take part to European Indoor Champs (6-8 March in Turin) because my goal is the Berlin World Championships. There I want a podium because at this stage of my career, after many world finals, fourth or eighth is the same.”
Pépin congratulated his pupil as their contract in Liévin was to break 46.20. “The winter season was not prepared, so he would have needed one or two more 400m races to run around 45.6. The participation at the European Indoors would have required high intensity training on the bend, but we are currently very cautious about avoiding injuries.”
Djhone concurred. “The youngsters are hungry and want to beat me. Whether I won or lost here, it would have provided information for the coming part of my preparation. Now, I’m satisfied to see that I have a good base, this is psychologically important.”
Doucouré fights off Darien’s challenge
Ladji Doucouré was also challenged by the new guard of French hurdlers, led by Garfield Darien, French under-23 Champion the previous week with a 7.63 run in Bercy. Doucouré had shown good form recently with 7.52 at the Liévin meeting and a win in Bercy in 7.53. During the National Champs, he qualified easily in 7.86. In the final, he had to overcome a slow start to blast away in the last interval and win in 7.63. But Darien was right behind in 7.66.
“I came here to get my qualification for Turin, not for a time,” Doucouré said. “It would have been different if I had run fast times earlier. The good thing is that I managed to be consistent at 7.6, this will be required in the preliminary rounds in Turin. There is room for improvement in the start; I’m working hard on it.”
His trainer Renaud Longuèvre explained: “On Monday we started a three-week training plan for the European indoors. This first week was a high load with maximum strength in the gym, so Ladji knew he would feel heavy and dead tired in Liévin. Next week will be more specific with two hurdle workouts, and the last week will be very light to taper. Our No. 1 goal this winter is to remain injury free, and the second goal is to get a medal in Turin.”
5km Race Walk NR for Diniz
Also well advanced in his plans is race walker Yohann Diniz. The 2007 World silver medallist at 50km decided to start his 5000m race very fast. After the first kilometre, he was eight seconds ahead of the French record held by his former coach Denis Langlois (18:43.20 in 1994). By 2km (7:17.77), his margin was reduced to six seconds. Diniz, not at ease in the 25 lap race format, managed to shave three seconds from the record, winning his first indoor title in 18:40.26.
“Thanks to the public’s encouragement, I tried to do finish well in spite of my fast start,” Diniz said. “I wasn’t prepared for indoors and didn’t have a time in mind. But of course, anytime I line up I want to give my all. I also wanted to prove that I was able to do well with my new coach Pascal Chirat. I felt the stress and the pressure was there, but I took pleasure today.”
The walker, now 25th in the all-time world indoor list, will fly to Portgual for a training camp from 26 February to 18 March. He plans to resume competition in March in Slovakia.
“It will be a training race with no time target. However, I will go for a time at the European Cup Race Walking in Metz on 24 May. The big challenge for me is to double 20km and 50km at World Championship.”
Mesnil prevails over Lavillenie
In the Pole Vault, Romain Mesnil, 31, and Renaud Lavillenie, 22 were meeting for the fourth time since December. The new French sensation, twice jumping 5.81m this season, had beaten Mesnil two times on three occasions. In Liévin, Mesnil cleared 5.70m at his first attempt, while Lavillenie, well over the bar, failed three times. This left Mesnil alone to face a 5.85m bar.
“It’s a pity Renaud was out so soon because he would have pushed me higher,” Mesnil said. Competing with a reduced run-up (16 strides) at 5.70m, he added two more strides and took a hard pole for 5.85m. “It’s the pole I used for my 5.95m personal best. I didn’t manage to jump the first attempt at 5.85m because I felt a cramp, and for the last two attempts, I had a tempo problem during phases of my jump”.
The winner with 5.70m, Mesnil was very satisfied although not too excited by the European Indoors. “The final is schedule the day after the qualification, and I’m not prepared for this. I now train relaxed, with a small volume, which makes me more fluid in competition. But the side effect of it is that I might not be able to vault two days in a row. Anyway I’ll try to do my best.”
Despite injury setback, Sdiri has high hopes for Turin
Salim Sdiri, on the other hand, has the highest expectations for Turin. Second in the World Indoor lists with 8.17m from the Liévin meeting, he said without hesitation: “I want to be European Champion.” However, the long jumper pulled a hamstring on Monday and had to compete at the National to validate his qualification for European Indoors. “It was very risky because I have not healed yet. I had to jump once and quit.” He did just that, with 7.91.
“All I did was run sub-maximally, put my foot on the board and jumped. Today I feel even better than at the previous meeting. I have not sprinted for 10 days, so jumping 7.91m in those conditions gives me a lot of confidence.” Sdiri will be accompanied in Turin by Kafetien Gomis, winner with 8.07m.
The women’s results were not on par with men this weekend, but Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida ended the day on a good note with a 4487 score in the Pentathlon, the second best ever behind Marie Collonvillé’s National Record (4644).
Pierre-Jean Vazel for the IAAF
