Why L’Equipe and Agence France Presse were at Grangemouth . . .
Photo by Bobby Gavin
By Peter Jardine
Heard the one about the French Olympian, the Tokyo World Champs, and Grangemouth?
Paris 2024 silver medallist Cyrena Samba-Mayela made a special visit to Scotland to compete in the 4J Senior Champs and try and win a place in the France team for Japan.
She wasn’t alone in terms of fellow Frenchmen (and women) as sports media folk from her home country descended on Grangemouth to assess her sprint hurdles comeback – after a year out injured.
France TV, L’Equipe and Agence France press – one of the biggest news agencies in the world – made the trip and were given a warm welcome by our Officials and the community.
What they witnessed was not quite the script Cyrena will have envisaged on the flight to Scotland.
We did see a Championship Best from an Olympian – but that was by Charisma Taylor from the Bahamas, who won the final in 13.00. There had even been CBPs in the heats (Pat Rollo held the mark at 13.20).
Samba-Mayela for her part finished fourth – outside the medals in a Scottish Championship !! – with 13.37. She had won her heat in 13.30. Sacre bleu.
Photo by Bobby Gavin
‘I am a bit disappointed,’ she told the assembled media huddle.
‘I wanted to run 12.70 or 12.80 max but that was not the case today. It was very new; I had not raced in one full year.
‘In training I have been quicker than that and the races here are not representative of my fitness.
‘But, honestly. I am not sure if I want to go to Tokyo if it is to run those times again.
‘I did not mind starting the season here. It was the last race of the day in Scotland and it would have been difficult to come straight back into the Diamond League.’
From the French media’s point of view, it was not quite the story they had hoped for . . . but a story nonetheless.
At least as they whiled away a couple of hours they had the chance to chat to Falkirk Victoria Harriers coach, former French footballer, Jerome Vareille. Hats off to Bobby Gavin for alerting them to that interview opportunity.
In closing, it is well worth reflecting that a number of Olympians have passed through Grangemouth in recent years (Nick Percy won gold there 24 hours earlier).
Olympic medallists Eilidh Doyle, Laura Muir and Josh Kerr all cut their teeth at the old place.
It’s just the venue tends to feature as an earlier rendezvous on the pathway than it did for Cyrena Samba-Mayela . . .
Journalists from France TV chat with Jerome Vareille at Grangemouth (photo by Bobby Gavin)
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