France’s Jacques-Sébastien looking at a bright future after her Barcelona display | 23.10.2010
French sprinter Lina Jacques-Sébastien was perhaps overshadowed at this summer’s European Athletics Championships by the medal successes of her compatriots Véronique Mang and Myriam Soumaré but the 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships 100m silver medallist still showed that she is a force to be reckoned with.
She rose to the occasion and set a personal best of 22.59 in Barcelona, when finishing fifth in the 200m, before running a great third leg as part of the French 4x100m team that took the silver medal in the relay on the final day of the championships.
In an interview with the French athletics federation web site www.athle.com, Jacques-Sébastien talks about her Barcelona experiences and her hopes for the future.
You seemed very disappointed after your fifth place in the 200m in Barcelona despite a personal best, do you still feel the same way?
There’s now less disappointment. It is true that I beat my personal best, which was a great satisfaction, but my goal was to get on the podium. However, I’m still a little bitter as all the girls were at the same level and I could have been up there.
What do you think was the reason why you didn’t get a medal?
I didn’t have a good start. I missed getting out of the blocks and I was upright too quickly. I got up immediately, an error that I usually don’t commit in the 200m. I was surprised to see Myriam in front of me at the end of the turn. I had always been in front of her at this point in this season’s races.
What did you think about her winning?
I was happy for her and the fact that it was a French woman who won. It was a big surprise. It’s fun that the younger generation are coming through. There were three young (French) sprinters in the final of the 200m. Before Barcelona, everyone was asking, ‘Where are our girls?’ Well, I think we showed them in the sprints and the relay.
You won a silver medal in the 4x100 relay, what do you feel about your first international medal in the senior ranks?
All the team shared in this happiness. I really enjoyed being on the podium, it was consolation for my failure in 200m. I told the other girls before the race that I was not going to leave Barcelona empty-handed. I felt good around the bend (she ran the third leg) despite the fatigue of previous races. There was a good atmosphere between relay runners. We also enjoyed putting pressure on the Russians.
This season you’ve gone under 23 seconds for the first time and you’ve been in your the first major (senior) championship final so this year has been a good one?
I took stock after Barcelona with Giscard (Samba), my coach, and he is very positive, that’s what allowed me to accept a little bit better my 200m defeat in Barcelona. This summer was good but it’s motivated me to do even better. I know I can lower my times even more.
How do you explain your progress this year?
Training, of course, but it’s also in my head. I’m much more motivated in training than before, I know what I want. My state of mind in competition is also different. In fact, I really discovered the pleasure from running two years ago. I am fortunate to have potential so I must take advantage of that.
You did not do better than 11.43 in the 100m this season, why is there such a gap between your performance in this event and the 200m?
I feel more at home in the 200m. I actually ran my 11.43 just before the French Championships in France and I began to get a good feeling at the event but I still had some sense that there was unfinished business at this distance this season. I am hoping that my best (11.30 in 2008) over this distance will soon go down.
What are your goals for next year?
Making the final at the World Championships, that’s the minimum, but I do not set limits. I will do the indoor season even though the 60m is not my specialty. I’d like to beat my 60m record (7.35) but anything else, we’ll see.
What about your training environment?
I have been training now for two years with Giscard (with the club US Creteil, in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris). I do most of my sessions with Cindy Billaud (the 2005 European Athletics Junior Championships 100m hurdles bronze medallist) and there are a lot of other young rising talents in the group. It’s a good group that motivates me, which is very important. I train six times a week. In parallel, I am studying for a diploma in business management. I’m going into the college in the morning then I have the afternoon free.