French Athletics team confirmed for Beijing

(BEIJING, July 29) -- The French Olympic Atheletics squad of 52 competitors was announced after the National Championships last weekend in Albi.

National Technical Director Frank Chevallier hopes that they can take two to four medals in Beijing, according to the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Heading the squad are 50km walker Yohann Diniz and 1500m runner Mehdi Baala.

Diniz won gold at the European 50km Race Walk in 2006, and took silver in the 2007 Athletics World Championships in the same event.

Baala, the only two-time gold medalist of the European Championships in Athletics in the Men's 1500m (2002 and 2006), is also a three-time Olympian.

Other big names on the team are 110m hurdler Ladji Doucoure, gold medalist at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and Romain Mesnil, second place pole vaulter at the World Championships in Athletics last year.

The French Athletics Olympic team includes the following members:

MEN

100m: Martial Mbandjock, Ronald Pognon

400m: Leslie Djhone

1500m: Mehdi Baala

Marathon: Simon Munyutu

110m Hurdles: Samuel Coco-Viloin, Ladji Doucoure

3000m Steeplechase: Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad, Bouabdellah Tahri, Vincent Zouaoui Dandrieux

High Jump: Micka