French Athletes Secure Ten Medals at U18 European Athletics Championships

The French national team concluded the U18 European Athletics Championships in Rieti, Italy, with a total of ten medals, including three gold. The competition, which served as a showcase for Europe’s emerging track and field talent, saw standout performances in the pole vault and middle-distance events, according to official competition results.

Pole Vault Domination in Rieti

France’s most significant success came in the women’s pole vault, where Julie Bourgis and Isild Drouet secured a one-two finish. Bourgis claimed the gold medal with a clearance of 4.40 meters, a performance that established a new national record. Drouet took the silver medal after clearing 4.35 meters. The pair’s performance underscored their status as the continent’s leading young athletes in the discipline, with Bourgis successfully navigating three attempts at 4.25 meters before steadily increasing the bar height to secure the victory.

Podium Finishes on the Track and Field

The French delegation saw continued success across various track events, securing three bronze medals:

• 3000m: Pauline Daumas earned a bronze medal with a time of 9:22.33. This marked only the second 3000m race of her career, and her performance allowed her to surpass Germany’s Luise Brzoska in the final meters.
• 100m Hurdles: Ana Peeters secured the bronze medal in a photo finish. Both Peeters and Finland’s Alisa Launonen crossed the line in 13.21 seconds, with the thousandths of a second favoring the French athlete.
• Sprint Medley Relay: The French quartet, consisting of Dylan Telo, Pierre Ivanes, Maidis Gorrillot, and Antoine Marx, finished in 1:52.85. The team had originally been eliminated in the heats but advanced to the final following the disqualification of another nation.

Decathlon and Technical Event Performance

In the decathlon, Andrea Jolevot and Louka Tesson both achieved personal best totals, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Jolevot ended the competition with 7,173 points, while Tesson totaled 7,113 points. The event was won by Czech athlete Sebastian Andrejev, who scored 7,523 points.

Other notable efforts included Judicael Sauvaget, who finished fifth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.41, and Eleonore Breney, who placed fifth in the 5000m, setting a personal best of 23:35.62. In the triple jump, Jayden Metainville finished eleventh with a mark of 14.55 meters, while British athlete Tito Odunaike claimed the title with a championship record jump of 16.12 meters.

Historical Context of the French Performance

The ten-medal haul in Rieti represents a slight decrease in volume compared to the eleven medals earned by France two years prior at the 2024 championships in Banská Bystrica. The tournament highlighted the depth of the French development program, particularly in technical events like the pole vault, where the national record was significantly challenged and ultimately surpassed.