Stéphane Diagana (born 23 July 1969 inSaint-Affrique,Aveyron) is a retired, Frenchtrack and fieldsprinter andhurdler. His specialities were the400 metres hurdles and the4 × 400 metres relay.
Diagana won the400 metres hurdles gold medal at the1997 World Championships inAthens and the4 × 400 metres relay gold medal at the2003 World Championships inParis. In 2002 he won the400 metres hurdles gold medal at theEuropean Championships inMunich. Diagana also set a new,European 400 metres hurdles outdoor record of 47.37 sec. inLausanne,Switzerland on 5 July 1995. This record stood until June 2019.
In his only Olympic appearance, Diagana finished in fourth position in the final of the400 metres hurdles of the1992 Olympics inBarcelona. In that Olympics, his4 × 400 metres relay team was eliminated in the heats.
Diagana retired from competition in 2004[1] and became a television commentator and advisor to theFédération française d'athlétisme (French Athletics Federation).[2]
On 7 April 2008, Diagana was an Olympic torch runner for the2008 Olympics. While he was running with the torch inParis, Paris city councillorSylvain Garel tried to snatch it from his hands.[3]
On 21 January 2011, Diagana was seriously injured in road accident while he was cycling along a road of the Col de Vence in thedepartment ofAlpes-Maritimes in southeastFrance. He was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital inNice. He suffered head injuries and although in a serious condition, he did not lose consciousness.[2]
He is married toOdile Lesage, with whom he has three children.
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| Preceded by | Men's 400 m Hurdles European Record Holder 5 July 1995 – 13 June 2019 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Men's 400 m Hurdles Best Year Performance 1995 | Succeeded by |
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European Athletics Championships champions in men's400 metres hurdles | |
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