European Athletics (EA) – News – Lemaitre eyes three golds again at Zurich 2014

Christophe Lemaitre has told the French media this week that he intends to compete in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the 2014 European Athletics Championships, the same three events at which he won gold at the 2010 Europeans in Barcelona.

Lemaitre’s unique triple triumph in Barcelona three years ago propelled him to being the 2010 European Athlete of the Year, the only Frenchman to be accorded such an accolade.

He is currently undergoing two weeks of rehabilitation at the High Performance Sports Centre at Boulouris, on the coast just south of Nice.

Lemaitre suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh during the 100m final at the IAAF World Championships last month, which meant he missed the 200m and 4x100m relay in Moscow, but he told reporters that he is recovering well and plans to return to training in early October in his home town of Aix-les-Bains.

"After the semi-final (in Moscow), I felt great,” said Lemaitre. “I felt a cramp when I started in the final but carried on running. Afterwards, I soon realized it was more serious than a cramp. This was not a very serious injury, I’ve had worse, but I had to be realistic and end the season.

"Thinking about my season, I could have done better in terms of times but I also remember the last few weeks, when I felt very positive things. In the long run, I have found things to work on.”

Lemaitre ended the season with 2013 bests of 10.00 and 20.07, the former coming in the World Championships semi-final which suggested that better might have been to come; these compare to his personal bests and national records of 9.92 and 19.80 which came in 2011.

This summer, Lemaitre even had his position as position as France’s top 100m man usurped by his young compatriot Jimmy Vicaut, who ran 9.95.

European Athletics (EA) – News