Intersecting dates and frustration for Jimmy Gressier. The French athlete once again stepped up to the plate against the French Athletics Federation this Friday, this time via his Instagram story. “I’m not racing at the Monaco meeting because my federation wants me to arrive in Munich on August 12 like everyone else, for a race on August 21 at the European Championships. I’m disappointed because it was a sick race before the European Championships, to prepare myself well. »
Jimmy Gressier will take part in the 10,000m at the European Championships (from August 15 to 21 in Munich). If his race is scheduled for August 21, during the last day, he must nevertheless arrive at the same time as the entire French athletics delegation, on August 12, nine days before his entry into the competition.
A situation that prevents the double hopeful European champion from taking the start of the Monaco meeting (August 10) because it disrupts his preparation at altitude. “I’m very frustrated at not being able to race in Monaco, but I have to comply with the collective rules of the federation. I told them that I didn’t like it too much, I tried to negotiate but it’s the same for everyone, ”he regretted.
“I’m a little disappointed with how it’s going”
Despite his attempts to arrange to be able to participate in the two competitions, the tricolor athlete was not authorized to evade the rules: “The federation wants us all to arrive at the same time for a collective spirit and so that the ‘we pull ourselves up. I’m a little disappointed with how it’s going. Initially, the Northerner had planned to extend his preparation at altitude in Font-Romeu until August 18. Jimmy Gressier deplores that the federation imposes a premature arrival on him in Germany: “I hope that it will not be too long and counterproductive to arrive nine days before”, he added.
The European Championships are of course important sportingly, but also financially for Jimmy Gressier. Indeed, he must absolutely achieve a result there in order to be able to continue to pay his coaches like other French athletes: “I’ll give you an appointment in Munich with, I hope, the most beautiful medal around your neck”, he said. he concluded in front of the camera.
The Northerner had already pinned the FFA after his 11th place in the 10,000m at the Eugene Worlds in July after having been at the forefront for a good part of the race before collapsing for “lack of freshness “. Jimmy Gressier then denounced “too harsh minima” in France: “This is not a criticism, it is an observation. Today, unfortunately, we have guys and girls who stay at home because these minima are too hard. »
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