Valarie Allman
"I'm very excited to be at tomorrow. The conditions on Saturday night will be quite similar to Texas, where I threw 71.46m in April, so I like that. I really hope to have a passionate audience on Saturday night, but also at the Olympics in two years. Tokyo was really special in that respect, and it's always better to get energy and support from the people in the stadium. Plus, we are scheduled at the end of the program, when the excitement is at its peak. You have to remember that two years ago, the disc was about to disappear from the Diamond League. So it's an honor and a chance for us to have this opportunity. It's going to help us push our boundaries."
Mélina Robert-Michon
"It is a pleasure to throw discus again in Paris. We don't have many opportunities in France to have competitions of this level, with the best in the world. I think I need this to get the big performance I'm looking for right now. Since the beginning of the season, we haven't really been spoiled by the weather, even without Oslo, so tomorrow is the perfect opportunity. The last few competitions have been frustrating. Patience is not really my strong point but I feel that I don't need much to achieve what I want to do. I hope it's tomorrow."
Sandra Perkovic
Robert-Michon brings a special atmosphere with the French public, she’s one of the best in the world, and she's still here after all these years. Paris is one of my favorite cities, a city of sports and not only of soccer, so I hope to come back here a few more times, including in 2024. The Paris meeting is my last competition before the Worlds in Eugene, so I want to continue to maintain my form. I don't expect anything special tomorrow, except to continue my momentum. It will be very hot, so we'll see how it goes."
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
‘’I’m doing great, feeling good, looking forward for tomorrow. It’s my first time on the new blue track, I’m quite excited, I only knew the Stade de France. I need to make sure that everything I worked during practice is good, Paris is a good step for me on the 100 m,on my way to the world championships. I think I will be able to run faster tomorrow, after my only 100 m in Kenya. The weather will be hot, and it fits me very well…I’m used to run in hot weather in Jamaica ! I’m hungry for tomorrow, wanting to basically replicate what I’ve done before, technically speaking.’’
Marie-Josée Ta Lou
I am very happy: Paris is my home ! (Laughs) It's always a pleasure to see Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a real inspiration for me and I'm delighted to run against her tomorrow. As for me, I want to do what I know how to do in training, I want to be happy after my 100 m tomorrow, that's my goal now, to be happy after my race. The weather is perfect for sprinting tomorrow, I will be at my best in this big Diamond League race. I want to apply myself at the start, that's what my coach advises me: in any case, it will be a beautiful race because there is Shelly !
Devon Allen
"I feel good, I love Paris and I'm happy to be back. I've run here a few times before, and quite fast. I know the track is fast. The weather wasn't great in Oslo on Thursday night, but my legs are in good shape, I feel good, so I should go faster than 13'22 on Saturday night. The atmosphere is always good in Charléty, and the public knows the hurdles, it's not a coincidence that so many very good hurdlers grew up here.
I'm in Europe to have race rehearsals before the Worlds. It's very important for us to find the rhythm, to feel sharp and well in our race pattern. After the national championships, I won't have many more races before the Worlds, maybe two or three, so I need to get in a rhythm right now. That will give me about 15 races by the time I get to Eugene, which sounds good to my coach and me."
Pascal Martinot-Lagarde
"I have no idea how fit I am. I got injured at the end of April, and I spent a month without normal training. So I have no reference on my speed, my start. I can run hard, but I haven't done any specific hurdling sessions. That said, I'm not afraid of anything, and it's probably the best way to run fast. That's how I went to the Olympic Games last year and made it to the final. If there is one ingredient that my coach and I have put into the recipe over the last few years, it is serenity. We know that I can do average meetings, average national champs, but in mid-July in Eugene, I will be able to go very fast.
I want to run a clean race, without being disturbed by what happens in the next lane. A time around the minimum for the Worlds, between 13''30 and 13''40 would be a successful comeback.
I have some favorites among the Diamond League meetings. I put first Eugene, where I won my first Diamond League, then Monaco where I broke the French record and then Paris, even if I never won there, despite some nice races. At home, it's always special."
Shaunae Miller-Uibo
‘’This is the first time I'm competing in a Diamond League with my husband, so it's fun and exciting. It should be a great competition! I've spent a lot of time fighting injuries the last few weeks. I just want to get my bearings, spend some time training properly. There will be some very strong girls on Saturday night, I want to see where I stand, have fun together, and discover the French public. The world title is the only one I miss, and I want it at all costs. I really hope it will be this year in Eugene. After Paris, I'm going back home for the national championships next week. The people there are waiting for us, with Steven (Gardiner), we should be well received.’’
Christian Taylor
‘’ It is always a pleasure to be back in Paris. This meeting has a lot of of significance for me. I have a great story with Teddy (Tamgho), over more than a decade. Triple jump is a signature event here, always very hot. We really want to put a show. I’m number 2 all time, it is a blessing to be in this position, but it is something pushing me to get better and better again to be the world number one one day. My injury was an opportunity to show that it is possible to do anything. My ultimate goal is 2024, since I missed Tokyo. My heart was broken last year. I’m working for that every day.
My birthday is tomorrow, and that makes me feel the old man on the runway, but I love my sport. This season is very like 2014, I am learning to jump again. I am a competitor, I still aim to be the number 1, even with other competitors posting big jumps. I am in a very humbling position, but I’m building back my confidence in by body. Competing in Turku with my full approach was the biggest hurdle. After the sixth round, I was like ‘’Now I can breath again, I can compete again.’’ Now, I want to make my signature response to the doubters. We are in an upcoming Olympic city, it is very exciting to experience the atmosphere of the city. ‘’
Hugues-Fabrice Zango
"After Tokyo, many things happened. In Burkina Faso, it was an incredible emulation. It is a great pride to be the first Olympic medalist in athletics, and the first African in the triple jump. After that, I focused on writing the end of my thesis, and I am currently making corrections in preparation for my defense.
Then I went back to training and I am still hungry, I hope to improve my best performance of the season and find my level by the Worlds in Eugene. There are young guys with long teeth, like Jordan Diaz, so it will be a tough fight. I really want to be with them. It's always a pleasure to compete with big names around you, starting with Christian Taylor. I know I'm not the best right now, but that's what I want to strive for."
Jimmy Gressier
"My first part of the season is going very well. Mentally, I am very fresh. I feel in good shape, that it will increase in the coming weeks. Tomorrow, it will be a high level preparation before the upcoming championships. We will see where I stand against the best African and world runners. The meeting de Paris is for me a date before the 2024 Games, with my public. We will see what they are ready to give us, and what we are ready to give them. I can't wait for tomorrow. For me, coming from the football world, sharing moments of joy with the public, signing autographs for the young people, enjoying all together, it's great. The heat? At 10:20 pm, it should be fine. Yesterday, at that time, I was having a picnic at the Insep with my girlfriend, and it was pretty cool. »
Alice Finot
"For the first time, I am approaching a competition in a different way than usual. I'm lucky enough to have already achieved the minimum requirements for my objectives for the year. There will be a very interesting density in the race, compared to the level I am aiming for. I feel like I'm starting out on a crash test. I don't want to put the brakes on myself, but maybe I will have to. On a forecast of less than 9', it would be too risky to follow the pacemakers. I'll have to rethink my strategy with the coach. His guess is that I can run in 9'10''. My training level today is better than in 2021, but I have to be mentally available on the right day at the right time.
Since my arrival in the high level, I have never run in full stadiums, it will be an interesting rehearsal for the big championships. I'm looking forward to making myself known to the French public. I need to do this because I was not able to make a connection in Torun, and I missed it. The opportunity to do on a Diamond League in Paris is great. What more could I ask for?"
Andre de Grasse
‘’It’s good to be here in Paris for my first time actually, not as a tourist I mean. The weather is amazing, very hot and that’s good for sprinters of course. Tomorrow night will be a good test to see where I am at. I really hope to run sub 20 tomorrow, to be ready and close to my best before Eugene. I want to run fast, the Americans are pushing me those days, and when you see fast times it makes you want to run fast : I really want to perform tomorrow.’’
Steven Gardiner
‘’This is only my second Diamond League meet of my carrier. I’m training wisely, and I don’t want to compete to much before the world championships : I’m here in Paris for the first time of my life, very happy and ready to compete. Before Eugene, I want to stay healthy, not like last year before Tokyo, I was afraid to be not enough prepared, hopefully I was. So I want to stay injury free. I’m ready to compete tomorrow. I will focus on my own lean, trying to give my best tomorrow. ’’
Matthew Hudson-Smith
‘’I’m training with Steven, and it’s a lot of fun, very intense. We’re friends in training but in competition, for a few seconds, no more (laughs). I have one goal this year : a podium in Eugene of course. I want to stay competitive in this very competitive race, there are monsters in each country… I’f I’m competitive, everything can happen. ’’
Kevin Mayer
‘’I particularly appreciate Paris. It is very well situated in the calendar, before the world championships. I will be at 100% tomorrow, even if I only started racing three weeks ago. The stress is rising a bit, but I need that to do some good performances : I’m here to enjoy myself. I'm back at Charléty, a stadium I love, I break my records every time here! The atmosphere is always special, like electric. Eventually, I don't have any specific objectives but I would like to surprise myself in front of the French public !’’
Cyréna Samba-Mayela
‘’The goal tomorrow is to get used to my competitors and to gain experience. These last weeks, I prepared myself, I went to a training course in Monte Gordo (Portugal). I made some adjustments. I haven't competed much, but the season is still long. This is my first participation in the Paris Open Air Meeting. It's huge! I usually live it from the stands as a supporter. I'm going to have a lot of fun running in front of my friends and family. I feel a mixture of stress and excitement. Tomorrow is going to be a little bit special !’’
