At 21, the French athlete, won his first title internationally.
Le Monde with AFP
Presented for some time now as one of the greatest hopes of French athletics, Cyrena Samba-Mayela, 21, has, for the first time internationally, confirmed this “label”. Saturday, March 19 at the World Room Championships in Belgrade. At 21, she won gold on the 60 m hedgerows.
She won in 7 seconds 78, new record of France, in front of Bahamene Devynne Charlton (7 seconds 81) and the American Gabriele Cunningham (7 seconds 87).
First passed by gymnastics and artistic skating, the native of Champigny-sur-Marne had revolved in athletics by becoming vice-champion of the world in the cadets in 2017 (on 100 m hedgerows). Champion de France in 2020 (on 60 m hedgerows, then on 100 m hedge outdoor), she then won a silver medal at the European Championships Espoirs in 2021
His success Saturday offers a first podium to the France team since the beginning of the World Championships on Friday. He also brings a small glow of hope to a crisis discipline in France and who had been accumulating the bad results for two years: two medals at the Doha Worlds in 2019, a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
These Jo, Cyrena Samba-Mayela had not been able to participate fully: she had been forced to declare package before the series because of a strong pain at the left ischio felt at heating.
“I think I had a course,” she said after his race, while saying to “continue on the same basis and hope for even greater things”. His program? “I have to continue like that, to kiffe my life, to work even harder”.