Whanganui athletics guru Alec McNab give insight on European scene

Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot wins the Men's 1500m at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety Stadium, in Paris on Saturday. Photo/ Francois Mori

The Olympic Games return to Paris in 2024 exactly one hundred years after it was last held in the city and will join London as one of the only two cities to hold three Olympiads.

On the evidence of the IAAF Diamond League "Meeting de Paris" I attended the city is well up to the task certainly for the athletics section of the games.

There is of course a Whanganui connection to the 1924 Paris Games with Whanganui and Wanganui Collegiate old boy Arthur Porritt, later Lord Porritt, taking the bronze medal in the 100m won by Harold Abrahams immortalised in the film "Chariots of Fire" even though in the movie Porritt went under the name of Watson.

Nick Willis was the only Kiwi competing in the star-studded Paris meeting. Willis finished 10th in a race won by Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot in a very fast 3:29.71. Although Willis, the Cooks Gardens mile record holder and the athlete to have run the most sub 4 minute miles, did record a respectable season's best of 3:36.26 for his midfield finish.

To put that in perspective that would have broken the four minute barrier by about six seconds and clearly shows that Willis has overcome injury and there is life in the 35-year-old Willis legs. It would be wonderful to see him back at the Sir Peter Snell Mile at Cooks Gardens adding to his record.

The Meeting de Paris was superbly presented. I attended with an old friend who I ran with while at school and who had not been to an athletics meet in years. His Paris domiciled son had never been to a major meeting was also with us. Both came away impressed and glad they attended.

It was hard not be impressed with the array of world class athletes on show. There was a whole raft of exceptional performances with a host of world leading performances and meeting records.

A number stood out, none more than Abderrahman Sandra ( Qatar) in the 400m hurdles. Complete with fluorescent yellow socks he blasted over the 10 flights of hurdles to set a world leading mark and meeting record and was the second fastest all time performance. His time was 46.98 seconds.

Castor Semenya (South Africa) did not need a pacemaker. She went from the gun in the 800m to produce a world leading time, African record and a substantial personal best of 1:54.25. As she finished over at the high jump the in-form Mariya Lasitskene became the world leader with meeting record 2.04m effort. Only minutes before that the world champion discus women Sandra Perkivic (Croatia) threw the discus out to 66.80m for yet another meet record.

The French organisers added a novel triathlon over long jump, shot and 110m hurdles to showcase their Olympic and world champion Kevin Mayer. He did not disappoint with three outstanding performances including a personal best shot. He knows how to perform for his supporters and the novel event added much to the programme.

On television one gets closer to the action on the track, but viewers are in the hands of the commentator and the producer. At the meeting, by means of the display boards, spectators are able to follow the field events and have warning when an athlete is about to perform.

We, from the other side of the stadium, were able to follow the exciting pole vault with Sam Kendricks (USA ) edge our local hero and world champion Renaud Lavillinie. We were much closer to the triple jump and watched Colombian world champion Caterine Ibarguen come from behind to show her real class with a season best of 14.83m.

While sitting in the stand I wished that the young athletes I work with were there to see athletics at its best and appreciate what a great sport they are part of.

They can take considerable comfort from the fact that at their best, both Genna Maples and Tayla Brunger, would have been on the podium in the Regional pre main event programme and Rebecca Baker would have won the 1500m. These were women's events, not school events drawn from the Paris region with a population greater than New Zealand.

I hope they are inspired from a distance and set high goals.