European 100m champion Christophe Lemaitre is ready to go for the double.

After his brilliant win in the 100m, Christophe Lemaitre has declared himself ready to do the double. Today he starts in heat two of the 200m and with the fastest time in Europe of 20.16, he is the clear favourite for his second title.

After lifting the 100m crown, the man from Annecy coached by Pierre Carraz said “I'm ready for the feat." [of doing the double].

The 20-year-old new star in the firmament of French sprinting was “overcome with happiness” after last night's final.

“I really fought for that medal. I had a bad start but I gave everything at the finish. I did my job.”

With his main rival Dwain Chambers getting a blitz start and Lemaitre the second slowest out of his blocks, the Frenchman had it all to do: “I had to attack like a madman to make up the ground. It was really hard. I just concentrated on my race.”

As he crossed the line, he was initially unsure he had won, but then he clapped his hands: “I felt only happiness and pride.“

His unbounded joy was in contrast to what happened in Berlin last summer when he was disqualified in the quarter finals after a false start: “This is a revenge for Berlin. I worked like an idiot to make sure I'd won. Now I'm hot for the 200m.”