As the athletes and officials preparing for Friday night’s Herculis Diamond League meeting mingled over dinner the previous evening at the classy Fairmont Hotel in Monaco, none was aware of the tragedy unfolding just along the corniche in Nice.
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By the following morning, the palace ensign at half-mast and an eerie calm around the principality made it clear that something had happened. There is a special connection between Monaco and Nice and the locals – citizens and foreign guests alike were in shock and given the nature of the incident, keenly aware that it could just as easily have involved them personally.
Prince Albert called and chaired an extraordinary meeting of the Monegasque Athletic Association, the organisers of Herculis. The resolution was to proceed, in the tradition of sports in such circumstances, but without the planned additional entertainment and with a period of silence in memory of those who lost their lives just 30 minutes drive away less than 24 hours before.
So as they say the games did go on and with some fine performances as athletes make their final preparations for the Olympic Games in Rio.
Friday night provided the platform for the new showman of world athletics, Gianmarco Tamberi to strut his stuff and that he did - but only just before a nasty tumble that may have ended his season and the sport’s chance to present a rising superstar to the world.
The Italian high jumper, who often shaves just one side of his face before a competition and in his spare time plays in a rock band, set a new national record of 2.39m with the accompanying pizzazz that gives athletics some real hope for the years to come.
But whilst attempting to set a world leading jump for 2016 at 2.41m, Tamberi injured his ankle. Many had their fingers crossed that it might have been a little Mediterranean melodrama but it proved indeed to be serious with an MRI taken to determine the extent.
Amongst the Australians competing there was good news with both Fabrice Lapierre (long jump) and Kathryn Mitchell (javelin) recording quality performances to snatch second places in their respective events against key rivals to stand on the Olympic dais next month.
Ryan Gregson has promised so much for so long but is clearly enjoying his best European season yet. The middle distance man looked comfortable amongst the very best in the world over 1500 metres at Stade Louis II, running home strongly to take seventh in a classy 3:32.13.
He should now have every reason to believe he can be a finalist in Rio – although running the rounds is a completely different challenge.
