Christophe Lemaitre "White Lightning" 9.92 and 19.80!

[LoLy]

Edwards didn't run fast in the semi

 

[Twinsen9]

Damn...

First round 100m : great
Semi final 100m : great
Final 100m : bad race

First round 200m : great
Semi final 200m : really great
Final 200m : ???

Well. Christophe runs five times and run four great races. I can't imagine Christophe run a bad race in this final... No please. Christophe is really good in Daegu !

 

[waterbed]

I think an outside lane is good for Lemaitre, because there is less of a curve for him to run, and running the curve is his weak point.
Great time in the semis - I just hope he didn't expend too much energy/effort, and has something left for the final.
Bonne chance!

I agree.

I would have put him in lane 8, I think a lot of people underestimate the advantage of the outside lane.

 

[frederic38]

you are right, lemaitre said multiple times that he wanted to be in lanes 7-5, because he has trouble with the curve

for me, alonso edward is a real dark horse

 

[Drunkjewishfan]

Im wondering if some of the other 200 meter finalists slowed down in their semi heats. Other than Lemaitre's time nobody has looked that impressive. Might we see a gold medal winner with a 20.00 + time? If Bolt gives it his all he will win easily but Lemaitre has a good shot at the silver.

 

[white lightning]

Ok guys. Prediction time. Here is mine for the 200 meters finals tonight.

Christophe takes the silver medal in a time of 20.05! I expecting heavy negative winds but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[foobar75]

One thing that's got me a little confused is how tired Christophe looked after both of his heats, as if he'd run a 400m. The other runners would just walk it off, like they ran the 100m or something.

With a full day of rest, I'm less concerned, so definitely predicting a medal here. Bronze is the most likely choice, but a perfect race, including running that turn well, could net him the silver.

 

[white is right]

Generally the form from the semifinals hold up so I have him for either 2nd or 3rd. I think the worst case scenario would be a near photo finish 4th, but I don't see that happening as only Bolt and maybe Dix look faster. His passing of Ashmeade should signal he is faster as nobody wants to come second in their semifinal as that will get you a bad lane assignment.

 

[Izwal]

Ok guys. Prediction time. Here is mine for the 200 meters finals tonight.

Christophe takes the silver medal in a time of 20.05! I expecting heavy negative winds but I hope I'm wrong.

So you think that he can beat Walter Dix. I hope that you are right, but that will be very difficult.
I predict a bronze medal in a time of 20.12.

 

[frederic38]

IF he runs 100%, i think he proved he was better than dix and the jamaican ashmaede
so he could be silver, or bronze, because alonso could be better than him, i think he might be the big surprise of the final

but he will likely be very tired
but i know he can do it
so i predict
bolt first
lemaitre second
or alonso second and lemaitre third

but, if he is too tired, it won't be a big disappointment, because at least he did the best he could

 

[white lightning]

Only a few minutes to go. Come on Pepe! You can do it Christophe! Bringing nothing but positive energy your way. Let's see you show the whole world why they call you the real "white lightning"!

 

[Twinsen9]

19,80 !!!!!!!!!!!

Third !!!!!!

Amazing !!!!!

19,80 !!!!!!

Really near the European record !!!!

 

[the argie]

19,80!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[white lightning]

HOLY RAVIOLI!!!!!!!! Christophe just killed the french national record. What a race. He ran a very good turn but still was only 4th coming into the home straight. Then he turned on the jets and ran a spectacular time of 19.80! Brilliant. Magnificent. Incredible.

I thought he could get the silver but you have to give Dix credit. He also ran the race of his life and Bolt was just Bolt. Despite everything, Christophe is a legend now! No one can deny his greatness anymore. London is going to be insane! His confidence is at at all time high. To think that at 21 he finished 4th in the 100 and 3rd int he 200 in just so incredible. I'm at a loss for words.

19.80!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:smiley:

 

[frederic38]

WOW!
incredible!
what a race!
and 19.80!!

 

[Twinsen9]

Wind : +0,8.

Christophe ran the best 200m of his life. It's the proof that Christophe can run de great race in final !!!

 

[Twinsen9]

[video=youtube;fe5YevCaWMw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe5YevCaWMw[/video]

 

[Izwal]

We are proud of you Christophe!

What a race!

Personal best:
100m -> 9.92
200m -> 19.80

And only 21 years old. What a huge potential!

Nobody can deny that Christophe is a world class sprinter now.

 

[Twinsen9]

Ashmeade : 20,29 ! That's bad.

 

[Julien]

Holy smoke!!!

this is just unbelievable!!!!

And Christophe just said:

"Je perds un peu de temps dans le virage. Quand j'ai vu qu'il y avait des gars devant, je ne me suis pas inquiété. Je me suis dit : ce n'est pas possible, c'est ma chance, il ne faut pas que je la loupe"

Which translates as:

"I lost some time in the curve. When I saw that there were guys ahead I didn't worry. I thought: this is not possible, it's my luck, I must not waste myself"

The guy is a pleasure to watch and ear. He's always cheerful, simple and enthousiast! The exact opposite of all those bling-bling and arrogant sprinters we're used to see since decades...

According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, with such a time CL would have been world champion in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005...

 

[Izwal]

Yes, Christophe said that he can improve his performance in the future.

It would be interesting to see a front view of the race because at the end of the curve Dix was deported on the right of his lane and may have walked on the white line with his right foot.

I did not manage to find such a video. If somebody has a link...

 

[Bk21]

Bolt and Lemaitre joking after the race

[video=youtube;E0MDkmArefU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0MDkmArefU[/video]

 

[Twinsen9]

Sorry guys, where is the Table of our predictions ? I don't find it...

 

[jacknyc]

There is no disqualification for going out of your lane on the straight, unless you impede another runner.
That's my understanding of the rule.

 

[trackster]

Nice to finally have power back (hurricane) and see that run by Christophe. God, I love the lad!!

Well, ever since he raced Bolt in the 200 earlier this season, I've said he has a real shot at the Olympic gold (yes, gold) in the 200 next year, and I'm sticking with it. Because, look:

1) he had the fastest time of any qualifier, including Bolt.
2) Bolt did not jog in the final. He grimaced and pushed and even leaned at the end. Bolt gave it everything.
3) LeMaitre can gain a tenth just by improving his first thirty meters. He can gain more than that if he concentrates on curve running and learns how to do it (Bolt proves that a tall man can pull it off). And he can gain even more by concentrating primarily on the 200 and building his endurance.

Put it all together, throw in some physical maturation, and, hell, yeah, he's going to win the Olympic 200 gold next year. Usain is gone. All hail Christophe!