the Keyena athletes qualified for the Olympics
ATHLÈTES | KEYENA
CONTEXT
Since the launch of Keyena, we have been lucky enough to partner with 3 French international athletes, who you now know as Laura Valette, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Valentin Lavillenie. Laura Valette is a 100m hurdles specialist, Valentin Lavillenie is a pole vault specialist and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde is a 110m hurdles specialist. Recently arrived as an ambassador, we are pleased to announce the arrival of a female athlete specializing in the long jump and triple jump. Welcome to Yanis Esmeralda David who is now part of the Keyena family! From now on, through our ambassadors, we cover almost four disciplines with the pole vault, the 100m hurdles / 110m hurdles, the triple jump and the long jump.
THEIR QUALIFICATION FOR TOKYO
On Friday, July 2nd, the French Athletics Federation announced the selection of the French team for the Tokyo Olympic Games which will take place from July 30th to August 8th 2021 in Japan. To our great pleasure, our 4 ambassadors have been selected and will be able to shine in Japan with their KEY ONE. While waiting to be thrilled by their Japanese sporting prowess, here is a look back at their summer season.
RETURN ON THEIR SUMMER SEASONS
For the resumption of the season Laura equaled her personal best in 12″87 (+1.5 m/s) in the 100m hurdles in Angers on May 15. In Gateshead, the hurdler achieved a time of 13″59 (-3.9) and finished in 8th place. At the Poitiers meeting, Laura took 1st place in the final in 13″04 (-0.7 m/s) against Marthe Koala. For the international meeting in Geneva, our ambassador was again the winner of the final 1 in 12″87 (+1.5). For the French Elite Championships, a stressful stage for the Nantes native, who had to reach the Olympic minimum, Laura finished 2nd in 12.89 (-0.7) behind Cyréna Samba-Mayela who won the final in 12”80 (-0.7). For her last meeting before the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Laura finished 2nd in 13″12 (+0.1) in Tomblaine.
Following his personal best set at 5m82 during the competition in Monaco on July 12, 2019, Valentin exceeded the minimum allowed at 5m80 and won his qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games. Following this, the brother of Renaud Lavillenie, is crowned European Vice-Champion in Torun by taming a bar at 5m80. He started the season again in Ostrava on May 19 where he jumped 5m60, which ranked him 3rd in the competition. Valentin is ranked 7th thereafter, at the competition of Chorzow by jumping 5m20. During the competition in Salon de Provence, our jumper finished 5th by clearing the bar at 5m72. On June 20th in Chorzow, the European vice-champion almost equalled his personal record by jumping the bar at 5m80, thus taking the 2nd place. During the Elites in Angers on June 27, Valentin braved the bar at 5m65 to place 3rd in the French Championships. To finish his season before the Olympics, our pole vaulter ranked 4th in the Oslow competition, clearing the bar at 5m71.
Pascal had already promised himself the 2020 Olympic Games by achieving on October 02, 2019 a time of 13”12 in the 110m hurdles by surpassing the minimum (13”32) at the World Championships in Doha. He was ranked 2nd. Due to hamstring pain, the PML hurdler could only return to the track in June. He realized a time of 14”26 (-0.1) during the meeting of Florence on June 10th which ranked him 8th. Even stronger, our ambassador finished 3rd in 13″45 (-0.6) at the meeting in Tomblaine. Before leaving for the Olympics, PML got his confidence back by winning the race with a time of 13″70 (-1.7) at the meeting in Sotteville.
Our new and not the least ambassador, Yanis Esmeralda David had also secured her place at the Olympic Games by achieving a performance of 6m84 on the long jump thus exceeding the minimum of 6m82 and by achieving her personal record on the long jump on June 06, 2019 during the international meeting in Austin. Similarly on May 11, 2019 in Fayetteville the American resident took first place in the triple jump competition with a performance of 14m35 (+1.1), her personal best in the triple. At the competition in Miramas, the jumper came in 5th place with a jump of 6m30 (+0.0) on April 10. One week later, on April 17, Yanis achieved a performance of 13m05 (+0.0) in Gainesville on the triple jump which ranks her 4th. Back on June 16 in Pontoise, she finished 2nd with a jump of 6m15 (+0.0). For the French Elite Championships in Angers, the jumper competed in the long jump where she won the gold medal with a performance of 6m63 (+1.9). On the triple Yanis, finished 6th with 12m96 (+1.1).
ATHLETES FEELINGS
1. Where were you and what were you doing when you found out you were qualified for the Olympics?
« I had just woken up because the list came out in the afternoon in France, so in the morning for me. »
2. How do you feel physically and mentally?
« Physically I feel good, I continue to have good feelings in training so we will try to maintain that until D-day. Mentally I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t done any competitions since the French Championships, so I’m impatient but also a little stressed. »
3. Quels sont tes ressentis ?
« Ce sont les JO, le grand rendez vous de cette année… donc un peu de stress mais je ne me mets pas la pression. ».
4. Are you confident?
« I am confident. I know I have the ability to be a great competitor and to be one of the best so we’re going to go. »
5. Do you think KEY ONE will help you indirectly?
« Indirectly, I think so. It’s true that for sprinters it’s a little more beneficial. But carrying the spikes in the bag, protecting the clothes, and then if between jumps you need to go to the bathroom the KEY ONE could be very helpful. »
1. Where were you and what were you doing when you found out that you were qualified for the Olympics?« At the French Elite Championships where I had come as a spectator, so I attended the 110m hurdles final and the results confirmed my selection. »
2. How do you feel physically and mentally?
« I feel good physically, strong, and without pressure. These Olympics being so unique, I don’t even have any apprehension. »
3. What are your feelings?
« I don’t have a base on which to situate myself, so being in the unknown about my level, I am confident about going all out, the rest, we’ll see. »
4. Are you confident?
« Usually, my legs are tingling as the championships approach, but not yet, there is not the same excitement for these Olympic Games. I will motivate myself on the day. »
5. Do you think that the KEY ONE will help you indirectly?
« They will mainly help me with the transitions from the warm-up to the call room and then to the stadium. Giving me more time to focus. »
1. Where were you and what were you doing when you found out you qualified for the Olympics?
« I was in bed and a training buddy sent me ‘congratulations’ and then I got a bunch of notifications and then I was like ‘wow, this is good! »
2. How do you feel physically and mentally?
« Mentally I’m so happy and excited about this experience! Physically better, I had a big fall in training 10 days ago but I was able to resume sprinting yesterday and I’m fine! »
3. What are your feelings?
« I can’t wait to get out there and do some sessions and see how my legs respond because right now I have too much energy! »
4. Are you confident?
« Confident I don’t know, but I know I’m in good shape and I want to go for it! »
5. Do you think the KEY ONE will help you indirectly?
« Yes, I can’t wait to put them on for the call rooms and I can’t wait to see the looks that the others will have on the sessions before the competition! »
1. Where were you and what were you doing when you found out you were qualified for the Olympics?
« For the Games, I found out when I was a finalist in Doha! »
2. How do you feel physically and mentally?
« I feel ready more than ever! I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting for this for so long. »
3. What are your feelings?
« I’ve been feeling for a while that my jump is getting unstuck and I have some great performances in my legs. »
4. How confident are you?
« I can’t wait to get out there, I feel really ready. »
5. Do you think the KEY ONEs will help you indirectly?
« I know that the Key One will allow me to be serene, that I am sure not to break anything in my bag and therefore my stuff will be ready for the big jump. »
OUR AMBASSADORS X KEY ONE
All equipped with their KEY ONE, we will share their daily life on site. For Laura, Valentin and Pascal, there is nothing new since they have been used to using the KEY ONE for a few months now, whether in training or in competition. Concerning Yanis, it’s another thing, she has just received them. We can’t wait to see the KEY ONE go around the world with our 4 athletes and especially to see them on TV!
COME ON THE BLUES
We wish all 4 of them good luck for these Olympic Games, but above all we want them to have fun and enjoy the Olympic track! Stay connected on our social networks, we will not fail to share with you the results of our ambassadors! By the way… if you start to be impatient and you also want your KEY ONE, then you may have your chance to win a KEY ONE with Tokyo colors. We won’t say more, but you know where to follow us.