Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Four of the five French relays have already qualified for the Athletics Games

This is almost a full box. Of the five French relay runners who competed at the dedicated world championships in the Bahamas, four have already qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer (July 26-August 11).

Paradoxically, it was the men’s 4x400m relay, world vice-champion last summer in Budapest, that failed to secure a place at the Games: second relay runner Thomas Jordier was forced to stop the race due to injury. His teammates will have another chance to confirm their ticket to the Games on Sunday during the repechage race.

Four other relays, the mixed 4x400m relay, the women’s and men’s 4x100m relay and the women’s 4x400m relay, have confirmed their qualification for the world’s biggest sporting event this summer. There are so many good opportunities to prove yourself in a selection that needs candidates for individual Olympic podiums.

The World Relays, held Saturday and Sunday in the Bahamas, offer 14 qualifying spots for the Games across five relays held on the track.

There were four series for each discipline on Saturday, with the first two teams from the series qualifying directly for the final on Sunday and therefore the Olympics.

This is the case of the 4x400m mixed tricolor led by Thomas Jordier a few hours before his injury, Amandine Brossier, Gilles Biron and Louise Maraval finishing second with a score of 3’14”71 behind Poland (3’13”53). ).

“We saw the Eiffel Tower as the finish line approached.”

Orlanne Olier, Jemima Joseph, Hélène Parisot and Mallory Leconte then ran 43:09 behind the USA to secure qualification for the women’s 4x100m, before being emulated by Mikael Zeze, Jeff Erius, Pablo Mateo and Aymeric Priam to win the 38 distance minutes. ’32 ahead of UK. “We have been working on this task for two years, and I am glad that we have confirmed our qualifications,” commented Jeff Erius.

Shana Grebo, Fanny Pelletier, Diana Iskay and Camille Seri then led the women’s 4x400m to 2nd place in their series with a time of 3:28:06, behind Poland. “We didn’t think we would be able to qualify in the first race, but in the end everything is possible,” rejoiced Diana Iskay. “We saw the Eiffel Tower as the finish line approached,” smiled Fanny Pelletier, thinking about their future Parisian summer.

Big names present in the Bahamas shined on behalf of the team, like American Noah Lyles, who qualified in the 4x100m, Italian Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs, Dutch Femke Bol in the mixed 4x400m and the Botswana talent. Letsile Tebogo, his team’s strongest player in the men’s 4x400m.

On Sunday there will be repechage races of three series in each discipline, with two qualifying places for the Games in each series. Two places for the competition will remain up for grabs after the world relays based on the results from December 31, 2022 to June 30, 2024.