Participating in his first World Championships, Stella Akakpo thought back to Moscow with beautiful memories. But this is a sport that is terribly disappointed arrival Monday, August 19 in Paris. Within hours, the French sprinter has experienced all the emotions, the most intense in the most cruel disappointments joy.
At age 19, the athlete believed to live on August 18 a real fairy tale in the 4×100 meters final. Last torchbearer of the France team, the young sprinter creates sensation on the finish line in coming second behind Jamaican. With teammates Celine Distel Bonnet, Ayodele Ikuesan and Myriam Soumare, then it celebrates the title of vice-champion of the world. Podium, photo shoot, interviews … The four French entitled to all honors two hours.
Preventable tweet
But arriving at their hotel, the dream collapses. The relay runners find that they are ultimately disqualified due to a handover-out area between Ayodele Ikuesan and Myriam Soumare. "We would be prepared to celebrate our medal Club France. We decided to look at our posts on the Internet from our loved ones and our families and that's where we were taught by a tweet from the IAAF [International Federation of athletics, Ed]. Nobody warned us. It was really hard, "said Stella Akakpo FRANCE 24.
On the finish line, the French had yet felt that there was second handover deadline: "In the beginning, it is true, we do not jump joy. But judges have validated the race several times. From the moment we got the medals, it was thought that no one could take us. " Aware of their technical fault, the relay runners do not dispute their outstanding relay area but are very angry against the behavior of the International Federation. "If it was another country, we would also claim brought [Britain recovered bronze after appeal judges, Ed ]. But then there is a way. Give medals and back is inhumane and unsporting. It's very hard to accept, "said the youngest of the France team, always very emotional.
"A beautiful, young team"
Despite this official and irrevocable decision of the IAAF, traffic sprinters finally returned home with their silver medals in their luggage. No official came up this claim and they do not intend to return. "This is mine, I keep it. It will stay with me. It is engraved with my name, I do not see the need to recover. Saw how they disqualified us, they could at least be kind enough to leave us. This is our only memory, "says Stella Akakpo.
The young woman did not hide his anger, but she also admits to having learned from this first major international competition. A promising future, the European junior champion over 100 meters tasted a few hours thrill of a global podium. Individual or relay, she hopes to recur: "We must take the positive side. It was a nice young team. All other countries know that the French are there now. "