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| Teddy Tamgho says it is 'a must' that he competes at the Helsinki 2012 European Athletics Championships. |
Teddy Tamgho, France's 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships triple jump gold medallist and world indoor record holder, will return to training by the end of November after three months on the sidelines with a fractured ankle sustained at the European Athletics U23 Championships in July.
The 22-year-old Tamgho, whose outdoor personal best of 17.98 metres ranks him third on the all-time list for his event, had the disappointment of missing this summer's World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
However, in an interview with the French website www.sport365.fr, Tamgho reveals that he believes he will be back in contention for the medals at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki and then the Olympic Games next summer.
An edited version of the interview appears below while the full version (in French) can be read here.
Teddy, how do you feel?
I didn't say anything to anyone for three months which I felt was necessary before resuming training, I wanted to make a small point. I've now finished my rehab with my physio. The operation went very well thanks to the expertise of Dr. Saillant, and normally there should be no repercussions. I now have two screws in the ankle that will stay there for the rest of my life.
Do you feel ready for the Olympics?
Of course I will be. The ankle bone mended easily and I was fortunate to be surrounded by a great support staff who followed my progress closely. Clearly I am not yet fully fit, I will get back into training slowly; but the last two months were intense, between the swimming pool and my leg exercises. I think I'll resume training at the end of the month (November), and I should be back in full training in early December with one goal: London.
Do you know where you are going to train to prepare for the Games?
As its an Olympic year, I will take some time to think about it. There are several solutions. Firstly, there is INSEP in Paris (the French high performance centre) with all the athletes who will prepare the Olympics, to train in such an atmosphere would be perfect. There is also the Air France centre, which is a very good place where I could work with my physio who looks after my ankle every day. There is also Spain, where I had good preparations last year, and with even better conditions than in Paris; and there is also Florida, but it's far away. Each place has its advantages and disadvantages and I have not yet decided. I also have to consult with Pedroso (Ivan, his coach) and Ghani (Yalouz, the French athletics federation's technical director). However, this is not a financial issue, simply organisational.
Do you think you are a certainty to be an Olympic medallist?
Everyone is a potential medallist. No one was counting on (United States' Christian) Taylor at the World Championships and he won. I can get a medal just as much as I can fall by the wayside.
How are you going to start 2012?
Right now, and since July, I have not thought too much about it. I do not want to look too far into the future. I want to go one step at a time. I've removed the plaster, learnt to move the ankle, started walking in the pool and then I've been doing strength exercises on the leg. However, this year it will be 'one shot', I will not do the indoor season.
When will you return to the competition?
I have not even looked at the schedule, it's you who are telling me about the competitions (laughs). I can't tell which comes first but I'll do the European Athletics Championships, that's a must. I also think I will do the second round of the French Inter-clubs Championships, because it is important to me. There is also the French Championships so that I can get the qualification for the Games.
Are the European Athletics Championships important to you?
It's a competition with the France team, so it remains important. I have never neglected this aspect of my career. The proof is that I got injured at the European Athletics U23 Championships . From the moment you start to wear the vest then you should commit yourself fully. Some people train day and night and never get to wear a French vest so I'm not going to say, as someone who has the chance to wear the French vest, that the European Athletics Championships are a trivial competition which I'll do just for fun.
Finally, how did you feel about being so far from the World Championships in Daegu?
It was not too difficult to cope with because 10 minutes after the diagnosis, I had already focused on the Olympic Games. I became disconnected from the World Championships. I still watched it but I was always thinking that it's next year that is the important one.