After the disillusionment of the Eugene Worlds (United States), Rénelle Lamote won the silver medal on 800 m on Saturday at the European Athletics Championships in Munich (Germany).
by
She had left Eugene and the United States disappointed on July 22, convinced that her elimination in the semi-finals of the 800m of the world athletics championships was a bad adaptation to her new shoes. In reality, Rénelle Lamote was then reduced, diagnosed positive at COVVI-19. Almost a month later, the Frenchwoman reassured herself by winning, on Saturday August 20, the silver medal on 800 m at the European athletics championships in Munich.
While she was preparing to cross the finish line in second position (in 1 min 59 sec 49), a few moments after the untouchable British Keely Hodgkinson (1 re sup>, 1 Min 59 sec 04), Lamote smiled. As if to put all his concerns, these ten days without training to recover from a significant virological charge when she returned to France after the disappointment of the United States, behind her. “I thought I could win today but I lacked self -confidence. It does not matter, I assure this silver medal which is very important for me. It’s party!”, reacted the 28 -year -old Frenchwoman at the microphone of France Télévisions.
🥈 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘-𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘 𝗗’𝗘𝗨𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘!
🇫🇷 Rénelle Lamote takes 2nd place in the 800 m final in 1’59”49!
🔥 She decreases… https://t.co/nrh8cu45n8
Part in corridor number 6, Lamote could indeed have played elbows and restart at the end of the race to try to go and get Hodgkinson. But the Frenchman preferred to ensure behind the British favorite, to obtain a third silver medal at the European Championships – after those acquired in Amsterdam in 2016, then in Berlin in 2018 -, finishing in front of the Polish Anna Wielgosz (3ᵉ, in 1 min 59 sec 87), which completes the podium.
The 2023 Worlds of Budapest as the next Grande due date
“I am so proud of myself, because, after the world championships, it was very hard to re -mobilize,” said Rénelle Lamote after the race. Author of her “best start to the season”, as she pointed out before the Worlds of Eugene, Lamote had therefore been slowed down by the Coronavirus, who did not prevent her from going to get the podium in Munich.
“I lacked a lot of confidence before these championships, because I was doing a lot of comparisons with Eugene, had pointed out the 800m specialist before the final on Saturday. If I want to be in 2024 [for the Olympic Games at Paris], I have to learn to confront the best world. “
Failing to have been able to do so in the 800m final in Eugene, Rénelle Lamote has therefore caught up in the final of the European Championships. Still a few lengths from a Hodgkinson now European champion, the Frenchwoman, vice-champion of the world and Olympic vice-champion at only 20 years old, still has a long way to go and the next world championships, in the summer of 2023 , in Budapest, as next deadline before thinking about Paris.
The evening was also beautiful for the 4×400 m men relay, which won the bronze medal a few minutes later, bringing to the tricolor clan its seventh medal.
Gilles Biron, Loïc Prévot, Téo Andant and Thomas Jordier finished in 2 min 59 sec 64, being preceded by the British relay, titled in 2 min 59 sec 35, and by the Belgians, who finish in 2 min 59 sec 49.