” It’s incredible ! »… Méba-Mickaël Zeze becomes the 4th Frenchman to run in less than 10 seconds over 100m

Sprinter Méba-Mickaël Zeze had a historic Sunday by becoming the fourth Frenchman to run in less than 10 seconds over 100m (9.99) then the 2nd in less than 20 seconds over 200m (19.97) in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland). ). Aged 28, this pillar of the French 4x100m athletics relay had never shone individually among seniors with old records of 10’15 over 100m and 20’41 over 200m, established in 2021.

” It’s incredible ! I still don’t understand, he reacted in L’Equipe. I know that I have worked a lot, reacted the sprinter to The Team. Going to the other side of the ten seconds, you go down in history and it’s incredible. In La Chaux-de-Fonds (west), a small town in the canton of Neuchâtel near the French border, Zeze achieved a historic performance taking advantage of a traditionally fast track, an altitude of around 1,000m and conditions perfect (heat, favorable and regular wind).

He first ran the 100m in 9’99 (1.6 m/s of wind), becoming the 3rd tricolor to pass the symbolic barrier of 10 seconds after Ronald Pognon (9.99), Christophe Lemaitre (9.92) and Jimmy Vicaut (9.86). An hour later, he completed the 200m in 19’97 (1.2m/s), 3rd French time in history after Christophe Lemaitre’s 19’80 and 19’91.

Beaten by the Cuban Mena Reynier, author of a stratospheric time of 19’63, Zeze is the first European of the season to run in less than 20 seconds on the half-lap. Despite his dream day, Zeze will have to settle for the 4x100m relay at the Eugene Worlds (July 15-24). He was not individually selectable in the 100m or 200m and the qualifying period ended a week ago.