In spite of the very likely absence of Usain Bolt, who will have only just completed the Jamaican selection trials, the MEETING AREVA 2012 will once again give the sprint competition its due. The men’s 100m, where world champion Yohan Blake has expressed his desire to be on the start line, will feature a unique Stade de France duel between Frenchmen Christophe Lemaitre and Jimmy Vicaut. Indeed, the two 2011 world finalists gave a verbal insight of this high-speed confrontation on Tuesday afternoon, as they exchanged comments and perspectives on the Stade de France site.

Here are a few of the extracts.

What conclusions do you draw from your indoor season?
Christophe Lemaitre: "I think I’ve made progress, particularly in terms of body movements, but this progress hasn’t translated into solid times on the track. I may have paid the price in competition for the work I did in training. Despite all that, I’ve become French 60m champion".

Jimmy Vicaut: "Quite honestly I hadn’t planned to run indoors this winter. My coach (Guy Ontanon) convinced me to do it. I’d hoped to run under 6’’60 in the 60m. I ran 6’’53, the best French time this winter. I didn’t expect it at all".

What are you expecting from the MEETING AREVA 2012?
Christophe Lemaitre: "For the past two years I’ve been coming to this meeting to pull off a great performance in front of a home crowd. I still have really sound memories of the very special ambiance and atmosphere from my first two experiences at the Stade de France. I’ll be approaching this year’s competition with the same mindset".

Jimmy Vicaut: "Above all I’m very happy to have finally been invited to the Meeting. I’d be hoping for a place for the past two years, but I wasn’t good enough. I’m expecting great things, lined up against Christophe and the others. I’ve never run in the Stade de France before so I’m keen to discover what it’s like".

What’s your view on the current competition in French sprinting, which was further boosted by the emergence of Emmanuel Biron, a 60m finalist in the Indoor Worlds in Istanbul?
Christophe Lemaitre: "It’s very positive, especially for the relay. With the classic team we have at present, plus the arrival of some very young runners with massive potential, including Mickael-Meba Zeze, and the experience of Ronald Pognon, we have the best possible team. I don’t see any threat in it, quite the contrary, in reality it motivates you to continue to improve".

Jimmy Vicaut: "My aim has never been to beat Christophe Lemaitre, but rather to be the best in France, then in Europe and finally in the world. His presence certainly makes me want to aspire to greater things".

Which sector of the race is Jimmy stronger than Christophe in and vice versa?
Christophe Lemaitre: "Jimmy is considerably better than me at the start".

Jimmy Vicaut: "At the end of the race he’s far better than me. If you were to combine the pair of us, you’d be inventing a real machine!"

Are you leaning towards the 100 or the 200m this season?
Christophe Lemaitre: "In the European championships, I’ll only be contesting the 100 and the 4x100m. In the Olympic Games, I don’t know yet. The decision hasn’t been made. However, I certainly won’t be doing both of them. With two days between the 100m final and the 200m series, it would be too risky. I’d be inclined to go for the 100m. However, my decision would doubtless be more favoured towards the 200m, where I have the most potential to win a medal".

Jimmy Vicaut: "I’ve always favoured the 100m. However, to my mind, a great sprinter has to pull off the double. As such, this season I’m going to try the 200m more regularly, where my record (21’’02) dates back to my first year as a junior. If I achieve the minimum time over this distance (20’’38), my coach and I will consider which decision is the right one".