24 August interviews
- Amy Mbacke Thiam (Senegal) - qualified for the 400m semi-finals in 50"86.
"The time I clocked comforts me. During the race, I didn't think about time as the most important was to win the race. I'd been dragging an injury since last year and I haven't felt any more pain for two weeks only, so I'm ready to try to strike a decisive blow at the Worlds. Ana Guevara and Lorraine Fenton were silver and bronze medallists two years ago in Edmonton and I think that the podium will again be settled between the three of us. I consider all the rounds as a final, but I've been feeling myself very well.
This winter I went to train to Sherbrooke (Canada) for several months thanks to an Olympic grant. The first month was very difficult. It was cold and it's certainly the worst winter I've been through. But then it was OK. Anyway, that's the best thing for me. In Senegal, I get too many sollicitations so that I cannot focus on the sport. That's why I'll go back to Canada next winter. But I still have my room at the Dakar centre and I keep training with the porgrammes prepared by the main coach of the centre, Emmanuel Bitanga".
- Eric Milazar (Mauritius) - qualified on time for the 400m final in en 44"75.
"This qualification is a great pleasure for me. I had some difficulties to finish the race because I went out fast to follow the pace of my opponents. The qualification would have probably been easier in one of the other semi-finals. Now I have two nights to recover. A first world medal for Mauritius, I only have this idea in my mind. I'm also happy because there'll also be two friends, the two Frenchmen, in the final. But I competed four times against Marc Raquil this season, and I defeated him every time !
- Haile Gebreselassie (Ethiopia) - 2nd of the 10000m in 26'50"77.
"I'm really happy. Remember two years ago in Edmonton, I felt very bad about being beaten by a Kenyan. So the plan before the race was first to cut the Kenyans and then see who's the strongest of us. I knew that Bekele has a strong finishing kick. I still have one of the strongest finish myself but that's just not enough against Bekele".
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