Athletics

LONDON — Pierre-Ambroise Bosse loves gambling and on Tuesday he rolled the dice and won the biggest prize of his life, the 800m world title, to give France their first ever gold in the event.

The 25-year-old, who had finished a valiant if frustrating fourth in last year’s Olympic final, seized the initiative with 150 metres to go with a stunning burst passing Kipyegon Bett and race favourite Nijel Amos and held on to take the tape first from fast-finishing Pole Adam Kszczot.

"I am a gambler, I love going to the casino," said Bosse.

"And today I just gambled, I put everything on the red, even my last Euro.

So hopefully, this is also for luck in love."

Bosse, who is renowned for his offbeat character and addressed his cat ’Rabs’ after finishing outside the medals in Rio by telling him to go the fridge and drink a beer for him, said he thought he had cast a spell over his rivals as no one threatened him down the final 100m.

"It felt like a nightmare as I was getting chased," he said.

"It was a never ending nightmare. I could not understand why nobody was going past me.

"Even when I crossed the line I could not believe it.

"The others killed themselves and they were already dead in the last 100m.

"I was like a witch casting a spell on them."

’Cannot party like Usain Bolt’

Bosse, who along with a friend launched an app called ’Deserve Her’ earlier this year as a rival he said to dating app ’Tinder’, said that he had felt like a kid who would do anything to have the toy he wanted from the shop.

"It was a war of attrition," said Bosse, who revealed he had spilt a bottle of water on his bed on Monday when he was fantasising about winning the gold.

"I felt like a little boy who wanted this toy and I said to myself: ’in any case you have nothing to lose’.

"When I went past them I put myself in their place and I said to myself: ’What must they be thinking? I thought they are going to pay for this and that pleased me’.

"It is the first time in my career I have felt like that.

"Finally today I was ahead of everyone. People can forgive me now because I now have that world title."

Bosse, who away from the track plays guitar -- largely tunes by legendary French poet and songwriter Georges Brassens, said he thought he was seeing things after he went on his lap of honour and espied his best friend in the crowd.

"He had a date with a girl in the south of France yesterday and we spoke to each other on the phone last night," said Bosse.

"He wished me the best of luck and I thought I’d see him again in France.

"And then tonight, I see him in the crowd and I was so pleased.

"He came all the way from France to see me. Maybe he brought me luck."

However, any thoughts of going out and celebrating with him have perhaps been put on hold.

"I had to pinch myself really hard to realise that I had really won," he said.

"In any case 200 metres after that I was throwing up.

"I cannot party like Usain Bolt." — AFP