French sprinter Lemaitre retires at 34
Christophe Lemaitre, a four-time European champion and Olympic and world bronze medallist in the 200m, announced his retirement from athletics on Thursday.
Un 200m pour l’éternité. 🥉💫
— Jeux Olympiques (@jeuxolympiques) June 27, 2024
Bonne retraite Christophe Lemaitre ! 👏🎩
📺 Rio 2016 pic.twitter.com/Zum7gA2MTl
The 34-year-old, who has not competed at international level since 2018, told AFP that the onset of another injury which had scotched any remaining hopes of competing at the Olympics in Paris had prompted the decision.
✨ Légende parmi les légendes !
— FFAthlétisme (@FFAthletisme) June 27, 2024
🇫🇷 Christophe Lemaitre tire sa révérence en équipe de France à l’âge de 34 ans, au terme d’une immense carrière qui aura marqué l’histoire de l’athlétisme et du sport français.
Jeux Olympiques
🥉 sur 200 m à Rio 2016
🥉 sur 4x100 m à Londres 2012… pic.twitter.com/BNUmUmF8kq
"The reasons are pretty simple," he told AFP.
"It's just that I did everything this year to take part in the Paris Games, except that I didn't succeed, unfortunately.
"There was yet another calf injury that appeared and that scuppered all my chances of hoping to qualify," he added.
In 2010, aged just 20, he took the European championships in Barcelona by storm, winning the 100m, 200m and helping France to the 4x100m relay.
Six years later in Rio he took bronze in the Olympic 200m behind Usain Bolt and Andre de Grasse.
In between, he won 200m bronze at the 2011 world championships, and five European medals in 2012 plus two more in 2014.
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