Athletics - French Championships. Collet, Zhoya, Finot, Habz... In Talence, athletes in search of performance and minimums for the World Championships

The French Athletics Championships this weekend in Talence will be held without the main French headliner, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, who announced her withdrawal on Thursday evening.

The withdrawal of the 24-year-old Frenchwoman, the only medal for French athletics at the Paris Games , is worrying as she still has not yet secured a single bib in 2025 and must still achieve the minimum time for the World Championships in Japan in September (12 sec 60). "Cyréna Samba-Mayela went to the stadium at the very end of the afternoon to have an injury noted by the French team staff," the organization said Thursday evening, without specifying the nature of the injury, adding that she had obtained a "medical exemption" for the championships in Gironde.

"CSM" was supposed to return to the United States in April, but she was hampered by a calf injury. "At home," she posted on Instagram on Tuesday, indicating that she was indeed back in France (she trains in Austin, USA).

Last year, she had already withdrawn at the last minute from the French championships in Angers, although she was highly anticipated a month before the Olympics, explaining afterward that she had had Covid-19.

Another headliner, but already eligible for Japan, hurdler Sasha Zhoya makes his return to competition this weekend, having also not been spared by injuries in recent months despite a thunderous start to the season.

The three-time reigning French champion (23 years old) achieved the minimum (13.06) in May in Miami during the Grand Slam Track , becoming the third fastest Frenchman in history, behind Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (12.95) and his trainer Ladji Doucouré (12.97).

After Miami, he withdrew from Philadelphia, then Paris and Monaco in the Diamond League, due to an Achilles tendon problem. "I have the French Championships this weekend in my sights. Only one chance to qualify for the World Championships," he wrote on Instagram, while there are currently three (for three places) with Just Kwaou-Mathey and Wilhem Belocian to have achieved the minimum qualification.

In the pole vault, the indefatigable Renaud Lavillenie (38 years old) has already achieved his revenge a year after failing to qualify for the Paris Games during the last chance competition in Angers. The former world record holder (6.16 m) has twice this season cleared the minimum bar for Tokyo (5.82 m). He will face the reigning French champion Thibaut Collet in Talence, still chasing the minimum.

In the middle distance, the reigning French champions Gabriel Tual (800 m), Agathe Guillemot (1500 m) and Alice Finot (3000 m steeplechase) are already eligible for Japan and will be favorites in their discipline.

Competition will be tough in the men's 1,500m, however, and the ranking at the French championships could be decisive for Tokyo: seven have already achieved the minimum time, including the new French record holder Azeddine Habz (3:27.49).

The 32-year-old Frenchman became the sixth best performer in the world at the Paris meeting, beating recent world and Olympic champions such as the American Cole Hocker (Olympic champion in 2024) and the British Josh Kerr (world champion in 2023).

On the other hand, Rénelle Lamote, 5th in the Olympic Games in the 800 meters and therefore a priority for selection if she achieves the minimums, will not be in Talence and has still not made her comeback, nor has Clément Ducos, 4th in the 400 meters hurdles last summer in Paris but who is not among those entered in Gironde.

A first selection will be announced after the French championships, then athletes will have until midnight on August 24 to achieve the minimum requirements and be eligible, before the final selection is announced.