A Very Fine French Team in Charléty

Press Release No.3 17th August 2006 A very fine French Team in Charléty The European Athletics Championships are drawing to a close but the French team in Gothenburg are already making an appointment with the French public in the Charléty stadium on Saturday 26th August for the SEAT DécaNation. With the support of fans and families, the event will be an opportunity to demonstrate that athletics, an eminently individual sport, can sometimes play its collective card and get all of us caught up in what’s going on... Created by the FFA (French Athletics Federation) last season, this competition is like no other in the international calendar, even if the English are following in the Federation’s footsteps this year by organising a similar meeting. A cross between a decathlon and a European Cup, it draws inspiration from the values of the former and the versatility, balance, atmosphere and complimentary qualities of the latter. The principal: each of the eight participating countries present their best male and female athlete from ten different sports. Ten men and ten women will join together as a single force under the colours of their country, for once favouring the collective results over individual success. In each event (100 m, 400 m, 1500 m, 3 000 steeplechase, 110 m hurdles/ 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump, pole vault, shot put, hammer throw), the winner boosts the score of their native country by nine points, the second place by seven, and so on until the eighth placed athlete is credited with a single point. Welcoming the event on home soil within the FFA, the men’s team intend to prove to its public that it is indeed the top European nation, while the women’s team are geared towards rediscovering the limelight. Certain athletes like Eunice Barber and Christine Arron will be keen to do well by racking up the greatest number of points for the French Team. Competing against them will be a sizeable list of adversaries. 7 countries, two of which will be taking part in the competition for the first time: the Ukraine and Germany. The participating countries are as follows: 1 Germany 5 France 2 China 6 Poland 3 Spain 7 Russia 4 United States 8 Ukraine The composition of the seven foreign teams will be known in the next few days. 2005 ranking: 1- Russia 2- France 3- Poland followed by the United States, Spain, Great Britain, Italy and China. Composition of the French Team: Women: Men: 100 m: Christine ARRON 100 m: Ronald POGNON 400 m: Solène DESERT 400 m: Leslie DHJONE 1500 m: Maria MARTINS 1500 m: Mahiedine MEKHISSI 3 000 m Steeplechase: Elodie OLIVARES 3 000m Steeplechase: Bouabdellah TAHRI 100 m hurdles: Reina-Flor OKORI 110 m hurdles: Cédric LAVANNE High jump: Mélanie SKOTNIK High jump: Mustapha RAIFAK Long jump: Eunice BARBER Long jump: Salim SDIRI Pole vault:Chloé MOURAND Pole vault: Romain MESNIL Shot put: Laurence MANFREDI Shot put: Gaetan BUCKI Hammer throw: Amélie PERRIN Hammer throw: Christophe EPALLE We can confirm that the SEAT DécaNation Press Conference will be held in the Charléty Stadium – at 1100 hours on Friday 25th August. The entrance can be found at 17 de l' avenue Pierre de Coubertin. There is parking available nearby. Please confirm your presence by phone on +33 147728141 / to [email protected] PRACTICAL INFORMATION: Timetables: by clicking here – NB. These timetables may be subject to modification. Ticket office: Reservations: France Billet - 0892 692 694 or www.athle.com Partners: SEAT, Région Ile de France, City of Paris, Adidas , France 2, L'Equipe, RMC Info, Epson, Dima Sport, Sport 2000, Luchon and Mondo. Media accredition can be gained: - on the Federation’s site www.athle.com - SEAT DécaNation – in the Media section - on request for an accreditation form by return of post - by clicking on this link Your accreditation can be collected from 1100 hours on 25th August at the press reception in the Charléty stadium, the entrance to which is situated at 17 de l'avenue Pierre de Coubertin (PUC entrance). SEAT DécaNation Press Team Agence BlancoNegro - Laurence Dacoury Tel: +33 1 47 72 81 41 / Fax: +33 1 47 72 81 16 [email protected] .

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