Teddy Tamgho sails 17.58m in Bercy (© Jiro Mochizuki (Agence shot))
Teddy Tamgho confirmed his great shape in winning his first senior title on Friday (20) during the first day of the National Indoor Championships in Liévin, with a 17.44m Triple Jump.
The World Junior Champion, coming from a 16.94m indoor personal record set in 2008 (and 17.19m outdoor), opened his season on 31 January in Mondeville with a stunning 17.37m. On 13 February, he improved to 17.58m and fouled a jump over 17.80m, near the 17.83m World Record shared by Cuban Aliecer Urrutia (1997) and Swede Christian Olsson (2004).
“After Bercy, I had a lot of thoughts about that foul jump, and I surely burned a lot of energy with this.” explained the 19-year-old jumper.
In Liévin, the start of the competition was difficult. “At the beginning, I wrongly thought that the minimum would suffice to win. But the level is such in France that I needed to deliver the best.”
Karl Taillepierre (16.94m) and Jules Lechanga (16.91m) provided stimulation for Tamgho. Their coach Jean-Hervé Stievenard explained: “Teddy was obviously tired today form the various new solicitations this month.” Tamgho couldn’t find his marks at his first attempt (16.83m), fouled the second and aborted the third (16.59m).
“I wasted three jumps and I now decided to go,” he mourned. His superb fourth attempt at 17.44m confirmed his position as the 2009 world leader, well over the follower in the list, Cuban David Giralt (17.22m). In agreement with Stievenard and supervisor Laurence Bily, Tamgho didn’t try his remaining two attempts.
“I came here to win and get qualified for the European Indoor Championships (6-8 March in Turin). I managed to secure a 17.44m jump so I’m quite satisfied,”
Bily explained: “Teddy started to have a slight pain in his heel in Mondeville, it disappeared and came back in Bercy. He was cautious for the first three jumps today; he was jumping with the ball of his foot instead of using all his foot. It’s reassuring that he can jump 17.44m without being at his maximum. Now he will use the two weeks prior to Turin to recover and taper.”
Karl Taillepierre, 31, owner of a 17.45m outdoor personal best jumped three times over his indoor record (16.90m) with 16.97m and 16.94m twice. “I’m very happy today because I feel the performance will come soon.”
Ngom Priso takes 60m title
In the absence of Ronald Pognon who is focusing on the outdoor preparation, the men’s 60m was opposing Emmanuel Ngom Priso and 200m World junior champion Christophe Lemaître. Both won their respective heat in 6.71 and 6.74. In the final, Lemaître had the best reaction (0.122), but Ngom Priso (0.148) was the quickest away and crossed the line in a new personal best of 6.63.
“Victory was the only thing that mattered,”,said the Cameroon-born who get his first French title after a recent naturalization. However he won’t be able to represent France for Turin. His coach Samuel Edimo Madiba described the preparation of the race: “I’m very happy because Emmanuel managed to apply things we recently worked on at training. He was super motivated. We did adjustment for his starting-block position between the heat and the final. He had to start as fast as possible because it is his strong point, in order to leave strong-finisher Lemaître behind, and that’s what he did.”
Ngom Priso, who opened his season in matching his 6.67 on 10 January, said he didn’t have a time in mind.
“When I did 6.67 early, I thought that debut was good but the coming meetings weren’t that good. Today I didn’t have a time in mind, it was all for the win.”
The powerful sprinter came back on track 25 minutes later to win his 200m heat with the fastest time of the day (21.29) and will be the favourite for the double on Saturday (21). “This summer, I will focus on 100m and above all on the 4x100m relay with the hope to be a titlist at the World Championships in Berlin.”
Ngom Priso’s joy contrasted with Lemaître’s frustration. “I ran badly. My start was poor once again,” commented the French junior record holder since Bercy (13). There, he ran 6.64 in heats and 6.65 in the final with better starts and reaction times reported as 0.040 and 0.098, respectively, but the start equipment had problems operationally on a resonant and bouncy wood surface, coupled with electric problems, so those figures should be read with caution.
“Since Bercy, I have had problems finding my rhythm, I have long legs and get into trouble to accelerate, and thus I’m more of a 200m specialist. I was nervously exhausted and didn’t manage to focus myself. Afterwards, I committed the mistake to try to catch Ngom Priso. I was hoping to get the title.”
Confusion in women’s hurdles
The women’s 60m Hurdles caused another deception. In the heats, Sandra Gomis was disqualified and re-instated, running under protest, in a race won by 40-year-old Patricia Girard in 8.18 after several long and stressful minutes of waiting. In the final, a mistake in the start-lists led Gomis to line-up, but she had to leave the track in tears after a last minute decision by the judge. Cindy Billaud eventually won the title in 8.14. Girard, 2nd a tenth behind and furious, still qualified to the European Indoor Championships 21 years after her first participation to this event (Budapest in 1988) and offered her silver medal to Gomis.
Another example of stunning longevity: Shot Putter Laurence Manfrédi won her 12th indoor title with 18.08m (lifting her total to 26 indoor and outdoor).
The second and last day of the Nationals Champs, whose format has been condensed this year (16 participants for track events and 12 for field events), will offer a tough battle for the 400m title. Yannick Fonsat was the best in heats with 46.97 after a quick 21.84 first lap, but French record holder indoors (46.33) and outdoors (44.46) Leslie Djhone, contesting his first indoor 400m for four years, qualified easily with 47.17 and will be eager to maintain his national leadership.
Pierre-Jean Vazel for the IAAF
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