Highlights from the athletes' interviews

Marileidy PAULINO - 400 m
" It’s always a pleasure to come to Paris. France is one of my favourite countries. My main aim is to run the best possible time in the best possible way. A time of 48’’ would be perfect, which is what I prepare for with every competition. I feel very good and very well prepared. I’ve worked on all my muscle groups and I hope to secure the gold medal in a month’s time. The Olympic title would be a real achievement, not just for myself, but also for all the people of the Dominican Republic. The last gold medal for our country dates back to Félix Sanchez at London 2012, in the 400 m hurdles. Mentally, I feel extremely good thanks be to God and to reading the Bible. That is where I draw my motivation from and it is thanks to God that I’ve managed to accomplish everything I have in my life. I’m very proud of my faith and my relationship with god, who is very important to me. I am very happy to be in Paris as the Olympic Games approaches, but I need to ensure I remain calm and quietly confident so as not to get overwhelmed by the emotion and the challenge ahead. It’s a mental work-up to make sure I arrive at the Stade de France as fresh as possible in three weeks’ time."

Laura MUIR - 1500 m 
" To be officially qualified for the Olympic Games means that I feel a sense of release for Sunday’s race. Even though I’ve told myself the whole season that I’ll be at the Olympics, I still had to validate my selection. It’s great to be here in the same city as the Games, safe in the knowledge that I’ll be back here in less than a month’s time.
I think the race will be pretty fast as Faith Kipyegon will be there. It’ll be my last 1,500 m before the Games, so it will be a great dress rehearsal and a chance to size up the competition. This race will give us a good indication of where we’re at with three weeks to go until this season’s main event. I’m going to go into a big training block off the back of this to prepare myself as best I can for the Olympics. It’s not easy to deal with as the excitement grows, but I hope that the race will be fast so I can get as much information as possible about the competition and my performance. 
How does it feel to come up against Faith? I’m just preparing to run fast and try to keep up with her for as long as possible! I’ve already competed against her several times and I’ve had the privilege to be in the same race as her in each of her world record performances. I’m her lucky charm of sorts! It’s an honour for me to be at the start with her and to compete against an athlete of this level."

Alison DOS SANTOS - 400 m
" I’ve had a great season so far with some good times, though I’d have liked to have run even faster. I’m thrilled to be in Paris. It’s my first time here and it’s an exciting city for every possible reason. The main aim is to run very fast in the Olympic final, but the idea is to gradually improve on my time in each race the closer we get to the main event. I’m not in a position to announce this or that time, but I do want to know where I’m at and to run faster than my SB of 46’’63."

Emmanuel WANYONYI - 800 m 
" I’m ready to run fast on Sunday and I’m happy to have the opportunity to run in the Diamond League here. I’m expecting it to be a special race with this big crowd. I’m well prepared and I feel no pressure on my shoulders. It’s a proper preparation for the Paris Games.
Talking of the Games, I do feel a lot of pressure on my shoulders for that. It’s a major event, which requires conscientious preparation. It will be tough but I’m going to work on that. The difference between that and the Worlds is that it is the Olympic Games, plain and simple. It will be my first Olympics and everyone is talking about that and that alone.
My recent time of 1’41’’70 at the championships in Kenya is an added pressure. I’m still young and everyone will be watching me closely now. I’m trying to focus on my training rather than on what people outside might be saying to me. I’m not thinking about David Rudisha’s world record. I just want to win my races and improve on my times."

Gabriel TUAL - 800 m
“I feel good and I’m delighted to be back in the game after last year’s injury. I’m looking forward to being back out on the track! Tomorrow, the plan is not to overthink things and just run fast whatever happens, to breaking point if need be. The aim is to hunt down a fast time. I’ve prepared mentally and physically for this race, just as I did for the European championships in Rome and the France Elite competitions. When running on home soil, I prefer to focus on all the people around me who will be supporting me rather than on the risk that things don’t pan out well and I get beaten.”

Mondo DUPLANTIS - pole vault
" The pressure is something you end up getting used to. I’m focusing on myself. If people are expecting so much from me, then there is a reason for that. I’ve been capable of jumping very high of late. I just want to prove to myself that I’m in good enough shape to break the world record. It’s my last competition before the Games, so it’s important to  come out of the stadium filled with confidence so as to arrive at the Games in three weeks’ time with all systems go. I know too that the other jumpers will be in good shape and will go pretty high, so it should be exciting for the public. The level will be the equivalent of an Olympic final given the line-up.
There are still a few stages to go before a jump of 6.30 m can be envisaged, but it’s a possibility for the future. I love the sensation of being about to do a jump that nobody has ever cleared before. The adrenalin rises. That’s where I feel the most free mentally, where everything is sort of flowing in a mixture of hyper-concentration and letting go. You know that everything has to be perfect, or almost, for things to work out. You cannot allow yourself to get lost in the detail."

Lorenzo SIMONELLI - 110 m hurdles
"It’s my first time in Paris. Since my victory at the European championships, I’ve been feeling very good. I’ve been awaiting this event since the start of the season. It was crazy. All my friends and family were in the stadium to support me. I feel good. I was tired after the European champs after the ensuing decompression, but I’ve really picked myself up and I’m feeling ready to run fast over the hurdles. Tomorrow will be an epic competition. I’d like to run a sub-13’’10 time, but I know there will be some very strong guys out there, who will bring their A’ game in the final of the Olympic Games. It will be a very competitive race and an excellent test for Paris. We’re going to enjoy it and have fun!"

Sasha ZHOYA - 110 m haies / 110 m hurdles
“The global standard is very full-on this year. It’s going to be very quick. I’m eager to see what I’m capable of tomorrow against what will be a higher level of athletes than at the French championships. It’s the type of competition which pushes me to give my very best. It will be my true comeback with two races without starting blocks that slip around. I’m eager to get down to it and to see how things play out. On home turf, you can rely on your family and friends. Each time I race in Paris, I feel this energy and I make use of that.”

Malaika MIHAMBO / long jump
" I feel better than I did a few days ago, but you can hear in my voice that I’m still not fully recovered from the Covid that kept me away from the German championships. I still need some time to reach my best level. I think I have two or three jumps in my legs and I hope I’ll be able to make the most of it to secure the best possible result. I don’t have any goals in terms of numbers, but I’ve been training well. I just want to see where I’m at and work on my performance with a view to the Olympic Games. Staying in the game and in competition mode is important with three weeks to go till the Games. It’s my first competition in France since the World Championships (15-17yrs) in 2011 in Lille. I’m pleased to be jumping in Paris for the first time and I’ve heard that the stadium will be full… I can’t wait to see that. I hope the crowd will be full of enthusiasts."

Larissa IAPICHINO - Saut en longueur / long jump 
"Rome was incredible! The European championships on home soil were an honour and a pleasure. The atmosphere and energy were incredible. I loved it! Jumping 7 m is a goal for all women who do the long jump, but it’s not an obsession for me. I do my best in training and it all naturally follows on from that.
I’m still very young. I’ll be 22 in a few weeks’ time. I still need to gain a lot of experience to be the jumper I want to be and to jump in excess of 7 m. As such, I still have quite a big technical work-up ahead of me.
I would love to hold the family record, which is also the Italian record but at 7.11 m that’s still a long way off. My mother (Fiona May) will have a while to wait before she sees me breaking her record, but I think she’d really like me to be her successor. I’ve got that in the back of my mind, but it’s going to take some work and perhaps a bit of luck too. I’m not pressurising myself in that regard."

Thibaut Collet - Perche / pole vault
“I feel pretty good. The aim was to arrive here in good shape in the run-up to the Olympic Games. I feel fairly confident. Tomorrow will be my last competition before the Games. It’s a very important stage and a final dress rehearsal with an extraordinary level of competition. The stadium will be full. We’ll be able to get an idea of what a packed Stade de France will be like to perform in. It’ll be great to get our heads around what we’ll be up against in a few weeks’ time.”

Renaud Lavillenie - Perche / pole vault
“My main takeaway is that I’ve managed to get myself up to a level where I could be a contender at the Games. I’m pole vaulting again without fear or apprehension, which means I can cast my mind forward to what comes next. I can do everything I love doing. From the end of the competition in Angers, I knew that the Olympic adventure was over, but I couldn’t have done all this work just to head home and go on holiday. I’m fortunate that I get a chance to compete at the Meeting de Paris, which is a wonderful showcase for the sport. At least I’ll be able to say that I jumped in Paris this summer, even though there won’t be any rings for me (laughs)!”