Attacked before his race, the 400m hurdles runner licensed at Lille Métropole Athlétisme (LMA), Wilfried Happio, was crowned French champion on Saturday in Caen with a blindfold, in a surreal atmosphere. What you need to know about this case.
aggression
Saturday afternoon, about twenty minutes before the final of the 400 meters hurdles, the reigning French champion Wilfried Happio warms up on a field located a few hundred meters from the Hélitas stadium where the French athletics championships are held. . “There was a big incident in the warm-up. Someone jumped on him and hit him, explained his trainer Olivier Vallaeys. A guy who came from nowhere asked him if it was really him Wilfried Happio and threw himself on him. I belted it. It was 20 minutes before the race, we were ready to go to the call room.”
the race
At the moment of the presentation of the athletes just before the start of the final of the 400 meters hurdles, the licensee at the LMA appears with a blindfold and a bandage made hastily. against all odds, he outclassed his opponents and had the best race of his career by achieving his personal best (48″57), synonymous with the minimum for the world athletics championships in the United States in three weeks.
The mixed zone
Right after his victory, his trainer hugged him as did his agent. He then appeared in front of the journalists, his head bowed, in tears and his nose bleeding. “I don’t want to dwell on it, the case is in progress, competent people are taking care of it”, he quickly commented.
Two complaints filed
Quickly released from the hospital on Saturday evening, Wilfried Happio showed up on Sunday at 3:45 p.m. wearing large sunglasses, to receive his gold medal as French champion in the 400m hurdles on the ceremonial podium. When questioned, he then declined to comment on the events that occurred on Saturday. “This is a private dispute between two people who know each other,” said a judicial source. According to the public prosecutor of Caen, Wilfried Happio has filed a complaint, as well as the French athletics federation.
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