European Athletics – (EAA) – News – Christophe Lemaitre improves to 9.92 at French Championships

There have also only been three performances by Europeans have been better than Lemaitre’s run on Friday, the European record of 9.86 set by Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu at the 2004 Olympics and two outings by Christie.

"My start was average but, fortunately, I got to make a difference in the second half of the race. I managed to remain very relaxed. I knew I had this time in my legs but doing it now puts me at ease. I enjoyed this race as it was a championship, that motivates me,” said Lemaitre.

Behind Lemaitre in second place, the 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships gold medallist Jimmy Vicaut maintained the form he showed in Tallinn last week when he equalled his best of 10.07 set in the Estonian capital.

Gabon’s Ruddy Zang Milama won the women’s 100m in 11.09 but there were fast times for France’s 2010 European Athletics Championships silver medallist Veronique Mang who clocked 11.11 to equal her best set in Barcelona last summer.

The 2010 European Athletics Championships 200m gold medallist Myriam Soumaré finished third in a new personal best of 11.17.

Another of France’s European champions, multi-events exponent Romain Barras, won the decathlon with 8117 points while Czech Republic’s 36-year-old world record holder Roman Sebrle qualified for his eighth World Championships with a total of 8109 points, helped by an excellent javelin throw of 68.90m in the penultimate event on Friday.

In the absence of the injured Teddy Tamgho, Karl Taillepierre was the best in the men’s triple jump with a wind-assisted 17.01m while 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships 1500m gold medallist Florian Carvalho won a tactical battle over the same distance in 3:54.35.

“It has been an almost perfect season. I used exactly the same method as I did in Ostrava. I came here with no real pressure, only to get some more experience,” said the delighted Carvalho.

Sandra Gomis took the honours in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking a swift 12.93, while Portugal’s Maria Eleonor Tavares was a guest in the pole vault and won with a national record of 4.50m.