06/10/2010 12:00 AM High profile members of the French national athletic team are reaching new heights following performance optimization programmes they have received at Aspetar Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medical Hospital. Last week French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre, who received treatment and performance consultations at Aspetar in April, was crowned Best European Athlete for 2010 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Lemaitre’s success comes on the back of recent French team success at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. Recently members of the French team were at Aspetar for a physical ‘pit stop’or physiological check up ahead of the official training season which began last week. The programme was initiated by Aspetar to ensure the athletes can work through their training regimes without risk of injury ahead of the IAAF World Indoor Championships winter competitions. Ladji Doucoure, Darien Garfield and Benjamin Compaoré received consultation at Aspetar under the guidance of renowned sports physician Dr. Hakim Chalabi, Assistant Chief Medical Officer and Personal Consultant of Ladji Doucoure. The French athletic team underwent conditioning programmes earlier this year when they were in Doha to compete at the 13th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Indoor Championships. Following this programme, they went on to top the gold medal count with 8 gold at the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona. Ladji spoke highly of the facilities and expertise of Aspetar staff. “I have attended many training and preparation facilities around the world. Aspetar is right up there among the most impressive I have attended” Treatment Ladji received at Aspetar helped him recover from injuries he sustained at the IAAF. His current programme is an integral part of his preparation in training for the ultimate prize – goal at the 2012 London Olympics. Aspetar was also instrumental in helping Darien Garfield win silver in the 2010 European Championships at Barcelona. “I was injured at the IAAF but Aspetar was able to diagnose me correctly and tailor the right kind of treatment and training programmed I needed to get back to my best and ultimately win in Barcelona.” Doctors at Aspetar also diagnosed injuries which Darien had overlooked until now, providing expert advice to ensure he got back to optimum performance levels. On the recommendation of Ladji, Darien and Olympic champion and French team Technical Director Ghani Yalouz, Benjamin Compaoré joined his compatriots at Aspetar for the first time. Benjamin was set back by an injury which, although not serious, is very rare for his event. Given the rarity of the injury Benjamin had found it difficult to get the right kind of treatment. But, following his treatment at Aspetar, he hopes to be ready for the 31st European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris. The philosophy of Aspetar is to provide athletes and sports players with the knowledge and ability to maximize their training and competitive potential. This is done through a combination of professional consultation and treatment, combined with leading educational programmes to help athletes optimize their training techniques and schedules, as well as their overall fitness, nutrition and sports psychology.