Early this morning until this afternoon, our athletes from the Azure Coast were on the track for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Direct qualification to the final for the women’s 4×100 m relay featuring Sarah Richard-Mingas. Meanwhile, Makenson Gletty finished 14th in the decathlon with 2496 points. No relay participation for Emma Montoya and Téo Andant, who were replaced at the last minute.
The French women’s 4×100 m relay team secured their ticket for tomorrow’s final by finishing third in their heat in 42”71, behind Spain (42”53) and Jamaica (41”80).
Among the relay runners, Niçoise Sarah Richard-Mingas perfectly fulfilled her role, helping to propel the French quartet (along with Joseph Gémina, Hélène Parisot, and Marie-Ange Rimlinger) into the top 3 qualifiers.
The second heat saw the United States (41”60), Germany (41”86), and Great Britain (41”88) dominate, while Canada (42”38) and Poland (42”83) completed the list of finalists by time. With the 7th fastest time among the eight qualifiers, the French team will not start as favorites but will have a chance to compete in the final tomorrow. Sarah Richard-Mingas sets the tone: “The objective is achieved. Now, let’s meet for the final.”
Regarding the men’s 4×400 m relay, Téo Andant was supposed to participate in the race but felt a slight alert on the warm-up track before the start. Replaced by Kounta Muhammad Abdallah, the relay team consisting of Loïc Prevot, David Sombe, and Yann Spillmann finished seventh in their heat, which meant elimination.
After the disappointing mixed 4×400 m relay at the start of the competition, it was an opportunity for the Niçois to end his world championships in the best possible way. A tough conclusion for the sprinter, who will feel like he missed his world championships.
A frustrating first day for Makenson Gletty in the decathlon
The first day of the decathlon at these world championships was difficult for Makenson Gletty. After five events, the Frenchman is in 14th provisional place with 2496 points. There is already no hope of a podium for the 2024 European Championships bronze medalist.
The competition began well with a 100 m in 10”92 and a second-place finish in his heat, setting the pace. However, with a slight pain felt during the long jump, he couldn’t maintain his momentum (6.98 m). This discomfort limited him throughout the day, and he expressed to France 2 at the end of the day: “It hasn’t gotten better [since this morning], it’s blocking me psychologically,” he admitted.
In the shot put, Makenson Gletty achieved 15.31 m, a decent mark, but in the high jump, he didn’t surpass 1.99 m and stopped at 1.96 m. Lastly, in the 400 m, he finished last in 50”49, slowing down before even reaching the finish line. He admitted to lacking concentration: “I really didn’t take the 400 meters seriously, I felt like I wasn’t in it.“
He provides a clear assessment with a hint of bitterness. “I can’t hope for much better. I can’t say I gave it my all.”
Tomorrow he will need to forget about the medal and do everything possible to finish as high as possible in the standings.
