06/08/2019   Saint-Etienne (FRA): Clemence Beretta and Kevin Campion are the new 2019 French Champions






We had guilty of neglecting the news of the 2019 Elite Championships in France that took place on a circuit around the Henri Lux stadium in Saint-Etienne (FRA).

 
As in almost all of Europe in the National Championships, the two male and female events are carried out on the 10km distance (if carried out on the road) or on the 10,000m track walk.
 
Despite the rainy day in Sanint-Etiennne there was an intense participation, worthy of a National Championship with 84 athletes who showed up at the start.
 
 
 
10km road walk women
 
The women's race was the first to start at 9:10.
The athletes at the start were 43.
 
Among them the main favorite for the victory was Clemence Beretta (FRA), born on 22.12.1997 who boasted a personal best on the 10km distance of 49:26, established on 28.5.2016 (also there under a flood) in La Coruna ( ESP) when she was still U20. But the young Frenchwoman from last season in Jesolo (ITA) on 9.6.2018 at the U23 Mediterranean Championships where she arrived fourth had managed to get a better track time: 47:31.08.
 
The victory of Clemence Beretta has never been questioned and the French, after having been together with Chahinez Nasri (TUN) up to 5km, has quietly won the title of Champion of France with a time of 47:33 (very close to that of his personal best on the Jesolo track in 2018).
With this title, Clemente Beretta redeemed herself of the disappointment of Gavle (SWE) where she had recently been disqualified at the U23 European Championships.
 
The other two contenders for the medals instead fought for silver and bronze.
Chahinez Nasri (TUN), the holder of the Africa Record (45:02), prevailed and finished the race in a quiet 49:27.
Bronze in Laury Cerantola (FRA) which instead gets the personal best with a time of 49:39 (first time under 50:00 considering that she had a previous personal best of 54:18 obtained in Saint-Renan, FRA on 14.4.2011. On the track the personal best is 52:23.59 obtained in Toulouse, FRA on 3.12.2017).
 
They completed the race in 42 athletes and 1 DNF
 
 
 

 

 

 
10km road walk men
 
The men's race started at 10:00 with 41 athletes at the start.
 
Eve forecasts were divided between Kevin Campion (FRA) and Gabriel Bordier (FRA).
He won the French Champion title, Kevin Campion with a time of 39:44 which represents the new personal best on distance. The transalpine lowered by 2:11 the previous personal best of 41:55 obtained in Vénissieux (FRA) on 22.3.2009.
The silver, after a battle that was resolved in the final km of the race, was won by Gabriel Bordier (FRA) in 39:53 also to the new personal best. The transalpine lowered the previous personal best of 42:33 by 2:40 obtained in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire (FRA) on 13.3.2016.
The bronze went to Raouf Drissi Ben-el-Abhi (TUN) in 43:00 also for him new personal best (precedent of 43.33 established by U20 in Taicang, CHN on 3.5.2014).
 
The competition was completed by 39 athletes and 2 DNFs
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

(photos by André Casale - FRA)