Very good, then a big slack. Kevin Mayer lost the lead in the heptathlon competition after a bad high jump competition on Saturday, the day when the Blues won no medals at the Istanbul Indoor Athletics Euros.
After three satisfying morning events (60m, length, shot put), Mayer couldn’t go higher than 1.98m in the evening heptathlon high jump, dropping him from the competition lead to by Norwegian Sander Skotheim.
The 31-year-old world record holder and double decathlon world champion still has the means to win if he succeeds on his second day on Sunday (60m hurdles, pole, 1,000m). “I’m a little disgusted yesterday (Friday) I was in great shape and tore my hair out a bit from not being able to sleep. I am a bit far from what I hoped to do, he said, according to comments relayed by the team. But there is the title to get so I’m doing the job. Let’s hope that a good night will make it a little better but you have to watch the opponents, it’s not said that there won’t be one coming back. »
A promising 800m final
Another Frenchman involved in the combined events, Makenson Gletty is provisional 5th, on the lookout for a possible podium.
The only Frenchwoman present in a final on Saturday, pole vaulter Margot Chevrier took 5th place, with a jump of 4.60 m. Agnès Raharolahy and Benjamin Robert qualified for the 800m final. Robert, brilliant winner of his semi-final, has established himself as one of the favorites for the men’s title. The French balance sheet remains glued to a medal, the bronze of Azeddine Habz in the 1500m on Friday, before the fourth and last day of competition on Sunday.
Sprinter Marcello Jacobs beaten by a compatriot
This great day of athletics ended with the men’s 60m final… and a big sensation. The Olympic champion in the 100m, the Italian Marcell Jacobs, visibly injured in the right leg, was dominated by his compatriot Samuele Ceccarelli. The almost unknown 23-year-old won gold in 6 seconds and 48 hundredths ahead of Jacobs (6′50) and Swede Henrik Larsson (6′53).
Jacobs collapsed as soon as the line was crossed. He then struggled to walk off the track, heavily strapped in his right leg. Despite his best time of the season achieved in the final, he suffered a small setback. He had to abandon the Worlds in Eugene (United States) in July 2022 due to injury before making up for it by becoming European champion in the 100m in Munich (Germany) in August.
