Reactions from Paris meet (Golden League) 06/07/2001


Samuel Matete 8th in 50"64
Today, I had no power, I was tired, I now run just for the feeling but it is not as easy as it used to be. I haven't been training as hard as I used to but still enough to run around 49'. mais suffisamment quand même pour courir autour de 49". I've already run a small meet in Spain (5th of the European champion clubs Cup with a time of 49"82 in Madrid on May 26th) and will maybe run another race after Paris. I won't take part in the world champs. Then I'll take a long rest.

Hicham El Guerrouj 1st in 3'28"38
One cannot talk about world record every time. The weather was sultry and windy. I tried to pushed the second pacemaker but he was doing his best. We were 2 seconds too slow between 800 and 1000m, but my last speed up was strong enough to show that you can count on me. This was my last 1500m before the world championships. I will run a mile in London on July 22nd. And after Edmonton, I'll run my first 5000m in Zurich: a great race.

Jean-Patrick Nduwimana 3rd in 1'43"78
I'm pleasantly surprised and really happy about my race tonight. I have a good preparation. My season debut in Europe has been difficult as I've been training too much recently. I took advantage of the lack of meetings in the period leading to the European Cup to have a week of hard training in Paris. In Rome last Friday, I wasn't ready, my body hadn't fully recovered. My next chronometric goal ? There's no limit. But my priority is to get good rankings in important events first, before thinking about times.