Nice Côte d’Azur Athletics triumphed at home during the Élite 2 Final of the French interclub championships. With a record total of 63,000 points, the Nice athletes brilliantly secured their place in Élite 1 among the top eight athletics clubs in France.
As favorites following their excellent result in the first round (61,619 points), the Nice team maintained their status by accumulating 63,000 points (including 1,000 bonus points), almost 1,500 more than their runner-up on the day, Haute Bretagne Athletics. This record total means a resounding victory and, most importantly, promotion to Élite 1 for the 2017-2018 season.
The celebration was splendid in every way for Nice athletics. Led by their captain Dean-Nick Allen, the international discus and shot put thrower from the Moulins district, the Nice team faced several seasoned teams in this level of competition.
NCAA asserted its presence with seven individual victories: those of juniors Sacha Alessandrini in the 100 m (11.88 seconds) and Camille Seri in the long jump (6.00 m), Mathilde Andraud in the javelin (46.80 m), Manon Eple in the 800 m (2:10.12), Isabelle Leroy in the pole vault (4.00 m), Youssef Benzamia in the high jump (2.10 m), and Frédéric Dagée in the shot put with 19.95 m, the best French performance of the summer season. Not to mention the success of the women’s 4×100 m relay team composed of young athletes Mandana Vuillemin, Camille Seri, Sacha Alessandrini, and Emma Montoya (46.43 seconds).
The 65 Nice athletes, through their collective effort, each contributed to qualifying the NCAA among the Élite 1 of French athletics, which includes the top eight clubs in the country. This elevation to the highest national level comes 11 years after the club’s promotion to the Élite division in 2006.
