French athletes experienced a triumphant return to Paris on Monday after a record harvest of 23 medals at the European Championships in Zurich, walk between Gare de Lyon and the reception at the Elysee Palace, Francois Hollande.
In good spirits gathered, but tired in the Zurich train station, about 11 hours, were pleasantly surprised to see a few hours later, more than a hundred people are welcome and near the Gare de Lyon.
"When I see all these people, that's when we realized what we have done. Created in history, this is a great honor," snapped Mahiedine Mekhissi gold medalist at 1500 meters, after the title stripped 3,000 m steeplechase.
Some fans arrived more than an hour and a half before the arrival of the delegation.
It is a noisy reception surprised the athletes who play the French 23 medals (9 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze), the previous record of 18 medals at the European Championships in Barcelona in 2010.
"I do not think., Really did not expect this, I feel that more people, as we return to the Olympics," said Christophe Lemaitre Sprinter, Zurich triple medalist (silver in the 100 meters and 200 meters, relay Bronze 4x100m).
After signing autographs for the many rooms of the Station Café, the athletes in public investment Marseillaise sung is strong enough, double-decker bus that arrived 18.40 clock at the Elysee Palace.
They applauded even hundreds of people in front of the Presidency of the Republic, the French team - athletes, coaches, medical personnel - then took Francois Hollande.
- "Incredible intensity" -
After each of the gold medal in the individual events, the President of the Republic who is preparing to return complicates the poor economic performance, praised the "values" of the French athletes.
"They are the values that are important in today's society: work, because nothing can be done without the commitment, including a cover (...)," the president said in a speech of about ten minutes.
"Do not even reach the second attempt. (...) And then, finally, spring (...) France has admitted, because these values-La, brought" which, he added.
French athletes then took pictures and put the steps of the Elysee palace, in the company of Najat Belkacem Vallaud-, the rights of women in the city, and Thierry Braillard Secretary of State for Sport and Youth Sport.
"It's an incredible day of intensity, as in Zurich. Tonight is over, but lived in France again is charged with emotion, as this championship," he said Yohann Diniz, asked 50 miles of the market by establishing a new world record.
"I came here in 2010, as we had been received by Nicolas Sarkozy, it was euphoria, but this was different. Installed is pure class," he added, saying that he had "given his medal Hollande so I could take a picture. "
Crazy day Diniz, drawn, the team of French athletics Najat Belkacem Vallaud-, Women's Rights, City, and State Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Thierry was in the Ministry of Sport, take Braillard exhausted.
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