2023-09-28 15:00:05
On the occasion of the Awards Ceremony evening for the second edition of the Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour, the President of the French Athletics Federation, André Giraud, spoke about the benefits of this circuit for French athletics.
For those who don’t know about Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour, could you explain what it is?
The desire of the Federation and its partner Crédit Mutuel was to bring athletics and the French Athletics Team to life throughout the year through its athletes. For this, we have brought together all the meetings in the region around a circuit called the Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour and which allows, in all regions of France, to have a major meeting of the elite athletics. It is a unifying event for which we are obviously helped by Crédit Mutuel, which is our main partner.
What are the current prospects for Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour?
The idea is to make it evolve even further. During this second season, thanks to funding, we made it possible to take certain meetings a step further, which are now classified at European level. The athletes score even more points. Our idea is to increase the value of these meetings, so that our athletes do not have to race abroad. Have a credible circuit that allows the French to take points on their territory and avoid travel.
This is the second edition of this event. What conclusions do you draw from it?
It was a good outcome compared to the first year when we were getting our bearings. I believe that all the organizers played the game, whether in terms of specifications or visibility. Athlé TV made it possible to broadcast all the meetings live, athletics enthusiasts now know that they have meetings where they can see the performances and their best athletes. It was a great edition. This year, there will be premium meetings, then national meetings and finally themed meetings such as pole vault or long jump meetings. There will be even more meetings that will be affected.
What are the development projects for the third edition of the circuit, especially in an Olympic year?
Have a consistent schedule. We have European Championships, Olympic Games, so it’s going to be a complicated season for the athletes. You have to make sure to organize the calendar so that everyone can find their way. To also ensure that there are athletics events, that we can distribute these 20 disciplines and that the athletes can find shoes that fit their feet. That is to say not only having 100 meter or 1500 meter events, but having the 100, the 200, the 400, the competitions. We are trying to unite the organizers around a more global organization where everyone can find a place to qualify.
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