The reigning double European champion over 100m, France’s Christophe Lemaitre will compete in the 200m this Thursday evening in his first Diamond League meeting of the year in Rome.
“My season opener in Aix-les-Bains gave me good hope, to run 20.30 from lane 8 was very encouraging. Also the training sensations have been good so far,” he said.
Lemaitre spent most of the off-season recovering from a thigh injury that occurred during the 100m final at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow. The injury left him with regret as he was unable to compete in the 200m, his specialty distance.
His objective in Rome will be to set a quick time to really get things underway ahead of the European Athletics Championships in August this summer, his main goal this season.
“I hope to run close to 20 seconds, and running below 20 is possible. It all depends on how I feel and if I execute my technique properly.
“Upon my return from the World Relays in the Bahamas, we conducted longer training sessions and I was able to hold-on without getting tired which means I am in good shape,” Lemaitre explained.
During that same event in Aix-les-Bains last month, his French teammate and sprinting rival, Jimmy Vicaut, set a blistering time of 9.95 over 100m showing that he will be tough to beat in Zurich, although Lemaitre remains confident.
“It’s true that I’m a bit behind him at this stage, but Jimmy has been focusing on the 100m, while I must prepare for both. That’s why it’s still too soon for me to perform well over the shorter distance.
“However this doesn’t worry me because I spent a lot of time this winter working on my explosiveness, so I am as confident for the 100m as I am for the 200m,' he concluded.
With strong opposition from Great Britain, the sprinting events at the European Athletics Championships seem wide open and we won’t miss a single minute as the build-up continues.