© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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COMPETITION  PORTRAITS |
 MURIEL HURTIS: “I WANT TO SHINE”
By Julien Vitry
We met Muriel Hurtis before she took to the starting blocks in the 200 metres heats. The European Champion makes no secret of her medal aspirations and desire to perform well in front of her home crowd.
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| Hurtis in 100 m |
How are you feeling Muriel?
Great. I don’t feel stressed. I’m pretty relaxed and can’t wait to prove myself at 200 metres and in the relay. I want to shine.
And you’re running in front of your own fans in Seine Saint-Denis…
Yes and that certainly adds to the event for me. And it really motivates me. The support of the fans will be a bonus.
Do you feel you’ve gone up a gear this past year?
My European 200 metres title last year helped me reach a new level. Now I need to reach the very peak on the world stage. I wintered well, but my early season wasn’t great. I didn’t let it get me down though and recently I’ve been running better. I hope to improve on my records at these World Championships.
So what are your aims at Paris 2003 Saint-Denis ?
My first goal is to make the 200 metres final. It’s going to be a very open race, with the Americans and Belgian Kim Gevaert all in with a chance. The fact that Marion Jones isn’t there is also a factor but it doesn’t change my approach to the race. I would even have preferred it had she been back.
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| With Arron in relay |
And the relay?
We’re all focused on the 4x100 metres relay. We want to go all the way. We’ve all set fast times this year and we’re motivated. We’re going to fight for gold.
Are you fond of the relay?
Yes and all the girls want to be part of the team. It’s a really fun discipline because it’s so exciting. Anything can happen in the relay.
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