AS Monaco Athlétisme’s Téo Andant kept his late-summer surge going with a bronze medal in the men’s 400 metres at the French Elite Championships in Talence, stopping the clock at 45.33. On a sweltering evening at the Stade Pierre-Paul Bernard (1–3 August), the podium was decided by the blink of an eye: defending champion Muhammad Abdallah Kounta retained his title in 45.12, with Yann Spillmann edging Andant for silver in 45.29. The entire top three were separated by just 0.21 seconds.
A race that never cracked open
From the gun, the final ran like a single elastic band, no dramatic breaks, just pressure. Kounta, in season-best form, held his drive phase through 300 m and protected lane priority down the home straight. Spillmann, enjoying a breakout year, kept his cadence to the line for a personal best, while Andant, France’s 2023 national champion, closed hard in third and enough to force a blanket finish but not quite enough to climb higher.
Why this bronze matters
This championship doubled as a late selection stage before the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (13–21 September 2025). France’s federation (FFA) is finalising its roster through 24 August, weighing results from Talence alongside entry standards and world ranking. In that context, Andant’s 45.33 in a high-quality domestic final strengthens his dossier for an individual 400 m or the 4×400 m relay pool.
Andant’s arc: from Nice to Menton to Monaco to medals
At 26, Andant already owns a major-meet pedigree: he helped France to silver in the men’s 4×400 m at Budapest 2023, part of the relay that broke a 20-year national record. His personal best remains 45.18 from Madrid 2023, and this season he’s shown added range with a 20.69 over 200 m in Monaco, useful speed for a quarter-miler sharpening for championships.
The Talence takeaway
Champion: Muhammad Abdallah Kounta in 45.12
Silver: Yann Spillmann in 45.29 (PB) Bronze: Téo Andant in 45.33
Those numbers underscore how competitive French one-lap running is in 2025. Kounta confirmed his status, Spillmann punched into a new tier, and Andant showed the competitive fitness you want six weeks out from a global championship. If selection tilts toward championship readiness and relay value, as FFA policy indicates, Andant’s podium under pressure will have been well-timed.
