The athletes quotes

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone - 400 m

“I'm very happy to be launching my 400 m season in Paris. My coach wants to see where I'm at over this distance. I trust him. For me, the challenge is to run well tomorrow evening and then we'll see about the rest of the season. I don't know if I'm going to take part in any 400 m hurdles races this year. It's a very interesting exercise to run these two distances because they're so different. I think the 400 m will be good for me to gain speed for the 400 m hurdles. It also gets me out of my comfort zone.”

Marileidy Paulino - 400 m

“I'm very happy to be here. My goal is to come back to Paris next year to win Olympic gold and, why not, beat the world record. I dream of achieving great things, just like Felix Sanchez did.”

Marcell Jacobs - 100 m

“This race should have been my third of the season, but it ended up being my comeback race. I wanted to make sure that all my physical problems were behind me. This race will be ideal to launch my season and achieve the goals I've set myself. The world gold medal is the only one missing from my list of achievements. This long absence has only increased my motivation. The most important thing for me is to feel good and to get out on the track to put into practice the work I've been doing every day.”

Noah Lyles - 100 m

“I feel really good and I can't wait to race tomorrow evening. I know exactly what I need to do when I'm at the start of a race. I've made a lot of progress over the last year, even after winning the 200 m world title. It's very exciting because I can feel that the big times are just around the corner. In the 100 m, I know I still have to improve in the first part of the race. That's one of the reasons why I took part in so many indoor 60 m events.”

Faith Kipyegon - 5 000 m

“The 1,500 m world record was an extraordinary moment. I just missed the record last year. In Florence, I was very relaxed throughout the race and I knew I had to believe right to the end. I hope to have other opportunities to do even better in the future. I'm a bit tired, but I'm hoping for a great 5,000 m race in Paris. It's a bit stressful because the effort is longer. I'll have to find my bearings on the track.”

Dina Asher-Smith - 200 m

“I love Paris. I have lots of friends here and I spend a lot of time in this city. We're only an hour from London. For me, the 2024 Olympics will almost be at home. Last Friday, at the Florence Meeting, I felt a cramp during the warm-up, just before taking the start. It was very frustrating not to run, but I didn't want to take any risks for the rest of the season. I'm feeling much better now and hope to run fast tomorrow evening. The 200 m is a distance I love.”

Marie-Josée Ta Lou - 200 m

“I'm very excited to compete in Paris. This is where I took part in my first Diamond League meeting in 2015. I used to run for the local club (Stade Français), so it's a bit like my second family here. I always take one competition after the other. I know this race is going to be very fast, so I hope that I will get a great time.”

Keely Hodgkinson - 800 m

“This track is beautiful. It will be my comeback race. My last training sessions were good. We'll see how my legs feel tomorrow evening, but I hope it will be a good race. I've been working hard since my European indoor title. The aim is to run faster and faster throughout the season. Medals are my priority. I'm not the type to project myself too much. The important thing is to know where I'm going, to have goals in mind, and to do everything I can to achieve them.”

Kevin Mayer - triathlon

“It's a great opportunity to compete in Paris. I'm very happy that the combined events will be in the spotlight. I'm here to enjoy myself while preparing for the rest of the season and, of course, the World Championships in Budapest. The decathlon is a discipline that needs visibility and I think it's important to be on the track tomorrow. Over the years, my experience has enabled me to target my competitions more effectively. Above all, they enable me to gain the confidence to arrive with ambition at the major championships. Physically, I'm much better than last year. I know that the public will push me to do my best tomorrow evening.”

Anna Hall - 400 m et hauteur

“The aim is to do a series of outings and test myself in different events. I'm coming off a full season with records in several events. I've changed quite a few things technically and I'm still learning from the different events. I think that's what's made me so strong over the last few months. I'm very happy to be able to take part in several events at the biggest competitions, like here in Paris.”

Grant Holloway - 110 m haies

“It's always a pleasure to race in France. I've taken part in several races since the start of the season. My form continues to improve, and I'm getting better with every outing. I've still got some great years ahead of me, with medals and titles to come. You can be very talented, but if you don't have this rigor and desire to progress every day, you can't make it. You know, you have to be a bit crazy to run the 110 m hurdles. I've always wanted to compete against the best athletes in the world. The American selection, which takes place in a few weeks' time, will be an important step before the world championships.”

Devon Allen - 110 m haies

“I'm happy to be back on the track. I hope I've learned from my disqualification at the world championships. The important thing for me is to be able to train regularly and to be in good shape to run fast. In the United States, the first objective is to make the selection. There are some tough opponents, starting of course with Grant.”

Benjamin Robert - 800 m

“I won here last year and hope to do so again tomorrow. When you win a race at this level, you realise that you can compete with the world's best athletes. I'm in better physical and mental shape than last year. My expectations have changed: I want to win medals and win every race I take part in. I'm going for the title at the world championships. I work every day to reach that goal.”

Pascal Martinot-Lagarde - 110 m haies

“It's been several years since I've had injury-free preparation. I'm very satisfied with my preparation, even if it hasn't yet shown up on the track. I'm a bit frustrated by my first races, but reassured about my state of fitness. It's important to run fast, but you also need to make up places in the world rankings. I don't want to be frustrated tomorrow night. There are some very talented athletes in the 110 m hurdles, many of them emerging who I don't know.  I've been on the world circuit for a long time and I want to remain one of the best on the hurdles. I know that the French team will always be strong in this event, and that's something I'm really proud of.”

Wilhem Belocian - 110 m haies

“The first few competitions have been good. Tomorrow evening, the challenge will be to concentrate on my race plan. I've got to get the feel for it, without getting hung up on the time. We'll be at home and we'll want to feed off this atmosphere to perform well. The density on the 110 m hurdles is important because it prepares you very well for the big championships. When I was younger, I went for it without any question. Now I'm an outsider, but I still want to show that I'm capable of winning races against the best athletes in the world.”