London double trouble

Lemaitre casts doubt on sprint double


20 January 2012, 15:45

French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre revealed on Friday that he was unlikely to double up in the 100m and 200m at the London Olympics.

“We’ll make a final decision just before the start of the Games, but I don’t see how we could do it, so I’m really not sure about doubling up,” he said.

The 21-year-old finished fourth in the 100m at the world championships in Daegu last year, before taking the bronze medal in the 200m a few days later.

“In South Korea, I had five days of rest between the two events, whereas the calendar for the Games is much tighter,” added Lemaitre, who won three gold medals at the European championships in 2010.

In London, the final of the 100m will take place on August 5, with the final of the 200m taking place just two days later, on August 7.

Lemaitre has already confirmed that he will compete in the 4x100m relay, in which he won a silver medal in Daegu.

The Frenchman was speaking during the announcement of an indoor meeting in Lievin, where he will begin his season on February 14.

The final is not 2 days later on the 7th. The first round is on the 7th, the semis on the 8th, the final on the 9th.