In Tokyo, at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, the Nice-born Sacha Alessandrini was eliminated in the semifinals of the women’s 100m hurdles. In a highly competitive race, the sprinter was unable to achieve a breakthrough. Worse still, she recorded one of her worst times of the year (13”08) and finished seventh.
Thus, it was the end of the journey for Sacha Alessandrini in the 100m hurdles semifinals. Starting in lane eight, the French athlete completely missed her start. She was never in the race and could not recover the delay.
The sprinter aimed to beat her personal best (12”70) and run calmly. With such a start, Sacha Alessandrini seemed overwhelmed by the pressure of the moment and her competitors.
A much too high hurdle
This race seemed almost impossible for the French athlete. Surrounded by the 2024 Olympic champion and world number two American, Masai Russell, world number eight Devynne Charlton, and the Jamaican double world champion Danielle Johnson, the Frenchwoman’s chances were slim. The three athletes secured the top three places and qualification for the finals.
The 26-year-old from Nice, competing in her first World Championships, suffered the biggest disappointment of her young career. The most important race for her ended in disappointment where she could never give her best. Sacha Alessandrini learned what it is like to compete at the highest level, and it is this experience that she needs to remember to come back better prepared mentally.
The next big meeting is from August 10 to 16, 2026, for the European Athletics Championships. This time, if the Nice-born athlete qualifies, there is no doubt that this painful World Championships experience will have allowed her to overcome a new hurdle. The rest of the world championships for our athletes from the French Riviera can be followed on Nice Premium. You can check the upcoming competitions on the French Athletics Federation’s website.
