Stéphane Diagana
Encyclopedia
Stéphane Diagana (born 23 July 1969 in Saint-Affrique
, Aveyron
) is a former French athlete who won the gold medal at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics
in Athens over 400 metres hurdles. In 2002 he won the gold medal at the European Championships in Athletics
in Munich
in the same event. Diagana also set the European record of 47.37 sec. in Lausanne
in 1995. He retired from competition in 2004 and became a television commentator and advisor to the French Athletics Federation.
He was a torch runner for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, however Paris city councillor Sylvain Garel
tried to snatch the torch from his hands.
He was involved in a serious road accident in January 2011. He was airlifted to hospital after suffering head injuries and although in a serious condition, he did not lose consciousness.
Saint-Affrique
Saint-Affrique is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-History:Saint-Affrique grew in the 6th century around the tomb of St. Africain, bishop of Comminges. In the 12th century a fortress was built on the neighboring rock of Caylus. The possession of Saint-Affrique was vigorously...
, Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
) is a former French athlete who won the gold medal at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
in Athens over 400 metres hurdles. In 2002 he won the gold medal at the European Championships in Athletics
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in the same event. Diagana also set the European record of 47.37 sec. in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
in 1995. He retired from competition in 2004 and became a television commentator and advisor to the French Athletics Federation.
He was a torch runner for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, however Paris city councillor Sylvain Garel
Sylvain Garel
Sylvain Garel is a Paris city councillor, co-President of the French Green Party, who tried unsuccessfully to snatch the 2008 Olympic torch from athlete Stephane Diagana's hands. January 29, 2009, at a reception for the Chinese New Year at the Paris city hall, he submitted a memorandum requesting...
tried to snatch the torch from his hands.
He was involved in a serious road accident in January 2011. He was airlifted to hospital after suffering head injuries and although in a serious condition, he did not lose consciousness.