Anaïs Bourgoin cannot dry her tears. “It’s very, very difficult. I got out, it didn’t work, ”says the 800m runner, eliminated in the semi-final on Friday. A little further, Rénelle Lamote, also out, does not dry his tears.
“What touches me is the elimination of Anaïs,” emphasizes the girlfriend. Make 1 this season and not go to the final, when we have the shape to get on the podium, I really have the balls for it ”.
The French camp had wished to dream of a beautiful final on Sunday, with two races scheduled one behind the other, where Jimmy Gressier and Anaïs Bourgoin, who play in the same training group, could hope for a medal. The 10,000m world champion will go alone to his destiny.
Almost alone, because Yann Schrub and Étienne Daguinos also won their ticket for the 5,000m final. “Three French people in the global final, it’s unheard of,” enthuses Yann Schrub, who will complete, just after Tokyo, his 9 years of medical studies. I hope there will be a few on the box. Why not dream! »»
Especially since some of the favorites, such as the Swedish Almgren and the Dutch Niels Laros, have been released, while Jakob Ingebrigsen has still shown that it is not at the best of its form. Jimmy Gressier, 5 days after his title out of 10,000 m, did not really tremble, even if he keeps on his bloody shins the traces of a few strokes during the semi-final.
The double 5000 – 10,000 m, a rarity
“Where it was a bit complicated, it was to mobilize mentally. Especially before the race, in the van to come to the stadium, admits the French. You have to get back into it little by little, go warm up. It is the same routine, the same stress as before the 10,000 m final. But during the race, I knew how to be lucid, once again, and make the right decisions. I knew how to replace myself when I wanted. »»
To date, only two athletes in the world – Mo Farah and Kenenisa Bekele – have managed to carry out the double 5,000 m -10,000 m. “It would be extraordinary to join them, Pointes Gressier. It would be an incredible thing for French athletics (to date, only Ladji Doucouré, in gold over 110 m hurdles and on the 4 x 100 m relay in 2005, signed a double on the same edition). In the semi-finals, I showed once again that I am at the level of the guys. I will give everything in the final. As I repeat, I have nothing to lose. But you have to keep a lot of humility. You have to keep your feet on the ground, and if I make a big thing, I will have the right to take them off a little for a few days! »»
On this final which will combine substance and 1,500 m specialists, Jimmy Gressier aims at the podium. “Tactician ends will be present, but you must make an inferiority complex, show them that we are present. I will have nothing to lose. It would be a professional fault not to believe in the medal, especially on this type of championship, where there are quite a few surprises. »»
On the French side, there is no question of doing a team race. “It doesn’t exist,” smiles Gressier. We do an individual sport. We also have the collective spirit, especially I who come from football, but in the final, we cannot afford. It doesn’t work. If we put ourselves in three in front, we will be overtaken from the outside, we will find ourselves a little scattered. We will run everyone with our weapons. You will have to be ultra-intelligent and fairly selfish. »»
In Pas-de-Calais, we are already preparing to vibrate on the side of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was at home, surrounded by her children, that Lydia Jimmy’s mother lived the semi-final. “If I am going to look for a medal, I will be the happiest in the world,” sums up Jimmy. I am already, but let’s try to continue the dream on Sunday. »»
