Athletics at the 2024 Olympics: The never-ending tale of French disappointments at the Stade de France

The Disappointment of Clément Ducos

It was an impressive concert of voices, heard many times before. Initially, a crescendo breath filled with anticipation. No need to strain your ears, the vibrations are palpable. There, in the stands, around 120,000 vocal cords are unleashed. As the final turn approaches, and a blue jersey is called upon once more, the cheers turn into a clamor. The arena comes alive, applauding, pushing. The surge of decibels, a promise of exhilaration. But then, the fury diminishes. In the last straight, the clamor doesn’t entirely fade, it softens. Even with eyes closed, simply listening to this subtle decrescendo, there is no doubt: once again, the hopes of blue euphoria have evaporated.

A Familiar Story at the Stade de France

For a week now, there has been a repeated refrain in the stands of the Stade de France. The host country is still chasing its first medal. On Friday, August 9th, late in the evening, a sense of déjà vu pervaded the Olympic track when Clément Ducos, 23 years old, appeared in the final of the 400m hurdles. The Frenchman, a surprise contender in the race, pounded his chest. He raised his arms before the start, rallying the crowd that was eager to go wild. “I wanted to draw a bit more energy from the audience,” he would later say. The crowd propelled him into a tremendous roar as he entered the final turn. However, Clément Ducos clipped the eighth hurdle. Without slowing down significantly, he couldn’t accelerate. The top three contenders in the discipline pulled away, leaving the Frenchman to finish fourth (47.76 seconds), half a second off the podium.

Outsider’s Hopes Dashed

Clément Ducos, who had never run under 48 seconds before this week, unexpectedly carried a portion of the nation’s hopes after eight days of competition. His initial disappointment was evident as he expressed, “I wanted the medal, but they were stronger than me.” It’s a testament to the state of French athletics when a relative unknown like Ducos becomes a focal point for national aspirations. Having drastically improved his personal record at the Stade de France, the long-silenced outsider displayed a mix of pride and disappointment, reflecting on his unexpected success in the face of formidable competition.