Maraval, Gilavert and Miellet achieve the Olympic minimums in Marseille

Louise Maraval, 400 meter hurdles specialist, as well as 3000 meter steeplechase specialists Louis Gilavert and Alexis Miellet, shone on Wednesday at the Marseille meeting.

The 400 meter hurdles specialist Louise Maraval achieved the minimum standards for the Paris Olympic Games on Wednesday by crossing the line in 54 sec 44 during the Marseille meeting, winning in the process the second French performance in history behind the legend Marie -José Pérec.

Later in the evening, 3000 meter steeplechase specialists Louis Gilavert (8 min 13 sec 47) and Alexis Miellet (8 min 14 sec 71) also validated the minimums for the Olympics.

Already in the collective of the mixed and women’s 4×400 meter relays which obtained their Olympic qualification at the beginning of May, Louise Maraval validated the minimums in “4H” in Marseille by subtracting almost a second and a half from her old personal best (55 sec 83).

With a time of 54 sec 44, the Vendée athlete becomes at 22 the second French performer of all time behind athletics legend Marie-José Pérec (53 sec 21 in 1995).

A few weeks before the European Championships (June 7-12) and two months before the Olympics (July 26-August 11), she also achieved the best European performance and the sixth best world performance this season, even if the major stars of the discipline (world champion Femke Bol and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin, among others) have not yet competed in races over the distance.