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Highlights: 2022 Monaco Diamond League

by: Luke Entwistle
11/08/2022

Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce set the fourth fastest women’s 100m time in history at the Herculis Meeting Wednesday on a dazzling night of elite athletics in Monaco.

Fans packed into the Stade Louis II for the prestigious Diamond League event on 10th August, and they weren’t disappointed. Meeting records, personal bests and season bests were all smashed in multiple events.

Fraser-Pryce unstoppable

All eyes were on Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in one of the stand-out events of the evening – the women’s 100m. She was unchallenged on her way to the line, the victory never in doubt. The question was the time, and she didn’t disappoint.

Her 10.62 is the fastest time she has run this year, and only 0.02 seconds off her personal best. She already has the third-fastest time in a women’s 100m, and now she has the fourth fastest time too.

As the European season draws to a close, Fraser-Pryce reflected on the year, telling Monaco Life, “It’s been an amazing season. Being able to run 10.6 consistently is remarkable for me, and I haven’t been able to wrap my head around it just yet. I think I will when I have a break.”

Compatriot Shericka Jackson came second in the event, whilst Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou came third, setting an African record in the process.

“Grant Holloway can only beat Grant Holloway.”

In the night’s other sprinting highlights, Noah Lyles took gold in the men’s 200m and registering a meeting record (19.46), which was nonetheless short of the American’s personal best. Post-race he seemed happy with his race, albeit rather ambivalent towards breaking the meeting record. “I thought I was going to run another 19.3, but I’m satisfied with 19.4 – the second fastest I’ve ever won. I’m happy,” he said. Questioned about the record, he told Monaco Life, he said, “I don’t care about that.” He continued, “My focus is on the world record. Shoot for the stars so if you fall, you land on the moon.”

It was a strong showing from the Americans on the track of the Stade Louis II. Grant Holloway picked up gold with a season best (12.99) in the men’s 100m hurdles. Exuding confidence, he revelead to Monaco Life that he had no doubt about achieving the result. “I was just expecting to win. Continuing to execute at a very high level is what I really want to come out here and do. Every year I’m hitting personal bests. We’ll take this, dissect it and go onto the next one,” he said. Asked who could possibly beat him, he replied, “Grant Holloway can only beat Grant Holloway.”

Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

Wightman’s dream season continues

British 1,500m runner Jake Wightman took the 1,000m crown at the Stade Louis II, pipping Canada’s Marco Arop on the line. The Scot runner became the first Brit to win a global gold in a middle-distance event since Seb Coe in 1984 with his win in the World Championships in Oregon earlier this summer, and he has now backed that up with gold in Monaco.

An unusual event in itself, the 1,000m is a unique event, a hybrid between the more conventional 800m and 1,500m. As a 1,500m, Wightman came on strong towards the end as the 800m specialists toiled.

He told Monaco Life, “I hoped at some point that Arop would come back to me. That’s the strength of being a 1,500m runner against an 800m runner. I knew I’d be strong in the last 200m. I didn’t really lose hope that I could catch him.”

Following his World Championships gold, he didn’t hit the same lofty heights at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, so he was pleased to return to winning ways in the Principality. “It’s always at big championships that you want to run your best. The Worlds was obviously a big surprise and a massive high. I struggled to come back to the Commonwealth Games and get the same drive. Mentally, I was very tired and I was happy just to pick up a medal there,” he said.

Wins for Miller-Uibo and Clayton

In the women’s 400m, Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo lived up to her favourites tag to comfortably take the gold. Coming around the final turn, buoyed by the roar of the crowd, she strode clear before consolidating her lead on the final straight.

She told Monaco Life, “It’s one of our last races of the season and we wanted to have some fun with it. We decided to go out and take it a little bit harder than usual and I think overall it was a great performance. I think we put on a great show for the crowd.”

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaican Rushell Clayton built on her already incredible season. Having set a new personal best this season, she bettered her fastest time once again with a 53.33.

She told Monaco Life. “A personal best is always good. To come out here tonight and get a personal best is amazing and I’m really thankful. My season keeps getting better and better and I’m loving it.

The European season may be winding down, but there was no sign of fatigue at the prestigious meeting in Monaco, to the delight of the thousands of fans in attendance.

Click on play below to see video and interview highlights from the 2022 Monaco Diamond League…

Photo above by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Monaco now offering protection against monkeypox

by: Cassandra Tanti
11/08/2022

The Princess Grace Hospital has been stocked with doses of the Jynneos vaccine and is now able to administer them to residents most at risk of contracting monkeypox.

On 23rd July, the World Health Organisation (WHO) activated its highest alert level for the growing monkeypox outbreak, declaring the virus a public health emergency of international concern.

The rare designation means the WHO now views the outbreak as a significant enough threat to global health that a coordinated international response is needed to prevent the virus from spreading further and potentially escalating into a pandemic.

The Principality of Monaco has registered three cases of monkeypox so far, one of whom was a resident, and all “received appropriate follow-up and were cured with no complications to report,” according to the health authorities.

Now, Monaco has attained its share of the Jynneos vaccine, which has been approved for use in the EU since 2013 for protection against smallpox.

The vaccine can also be used to prevent monkeypox due to the similarities between the two diseases. The conditions are caused by the variola virus, meaning the symptoms are similar. Monkeypox is a much milder disease than smallpox, but it can be severe in vulnerable individuals.

JYNNEOS is administered beneath the skin as two doses, four weeks apart.

Vaccination in Monaco is now open to adults who have had contact with a monkeypox patient, or as a preventative measure to adults who are considered vulnerable to contracting the disease. 90% of cases are transmitted sexually.

Early symptoms of monkepox include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, possible swollen glands, and then an extensive rash. Diagnosis is achieved through a biological test (PCR). An infected person can be contagious as soon as the symptoms appear. The good news is most often, monkeypox patients are fully recovered in two to four weeks.

Residents who would like to receive the vaccination are invited to contact the Monegasque Screening Centre located at the Princess Grace Hospital, at +377.97.98.84.12 to organise an appointment.

 

Photo by Steven Cornfield on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

Groundhog Day for AS Monaco

by: Luke Entwistle
10/08/2022

AS Monaco couldn’t escape their recurring Champions League heartbreak as fine margins once again consigned the Principality side to an early exit from the top tier of European competition on Tuesday.

To avoid Groundhog Day, the task was simple: repeat last season’s Europa League victory over PSV at the Philips Stadion. But just like in the film, breaking the cycle is no easy task, and Philippe Clement’s men found that out the hard way.

But unlike in Groundhog Day, there is no need for Monaco to undergo a radical transformation of the self; small changes will allow the club to fall on the right side of those ultra-fine margins, and avoid this “cruel” fate once again next year.

This treacherous route could have been avoided all together. Ignatius Ganago’s last-ditch injury time equaliser for RC Lens in the final game of the Ligue 1 season stole second place from Monaco’s grasp, and forced them to retrace last season’s steps by going through the play-offs.

Learning from last year’s heartbreak against Shakhtar Donetsk, where Monaco were dumped out of the Champions League due to a Ruben Aguilar own-goal in extra-time, the club returned early for pre-season this time around. However, possessing a fitter, more physical team wasn’t enough to see them over the line.

In a mirror image of the first leg, Monaco fell behind from a smart Joey Veerman finish in the first-half. Despite possessional and territorial dominance, Monaco lacked a cutting edge; Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s well-organised PSV side restricted Monaco to drawn-out, sterile phases of play before hitting on the break.

Clement saw the need to tweak his attacking unit at half-time and on came Breel Embolo for the largely ineffective Kevin Volland. The Swiss was a handful against Strasbourg at the weekend, and he was once again pivotal here.

His direct running and high-energy pressing reaped immediate rewards. His arrival seemed to ignite the rest of the side into action and Monaco soon found themselves level. Guillermo Maripán first struck the bar from a Caio Henrique free-kick. That narrow miss was followed by a flurry of corners in quick succession, and the pressure finally told. In a goalmouth scramble at a corner, Embolo managed to feed the ball through to Maripán, who this time made no mistake with the finish.

At 1-1, Monaco were clearly in the ascendency, and just over 10 minutes later they took the lead for the first time. Youssouf Fofana won the ball back in the midfield, and in a dynamic, direct transition à-la-Clement, Gelson Martins surged forward, feeding a sumptuous cross into the path of Wissam Ben Yedder, who finished first-time from just six yards out.

Having taken the lead, the siege on PSV’s goal abated and the Dutch side grew back into the game. The roles reversed as Monaco now reverted to playing on the break, and they could have landed a knock-out blow if not for a last-ditch Armando Obispo challenge on Embolo. Whether or not he got the ball was another matter, but VAR didn’t overturn the referee’s on-field decision.

Just seconds later and with just two minutes of regular time remaining, PSV equalised through a close-range Erick Gutiérrez header. VAR’s intervention saved Monaco late-on against Strasbourg on Saturday, but this tight offside call didn’t fall the way of the Monégasques.

The game therefore went in extra time, just as it did against Shakhtar last season. For the third time in the two-legged tie, Monaco struck the bar with an Embolo header in the opening minutes of extra-time, before history repeated itself.

Luuk de Jong landed the hammer blow with a back-post header to give PSV the lead in the second-half of extra-time. Monaco chucked players forward in a desperate attempt to save the tie, but to no avail. Monaco will once again have to settle for Europa League football this season.

The match was described as “cruel” by Axel Disasi, and as “annoying” by his manager, Clement. The Belgian added, “This match turned on details that gave the opponent the opportunity to score, but despite everything, I saw good things. We were better than PSV in both legs… we pushed until the last second to score but luck wasn’t with us in the end.”

Prior to the first leg, Clement said that he believed that Monaco were “too disappointed” by their elimination in the Champions League play-off last season, and that that negative energy spilled over into their league form. Clement said, “we can’t make that mistake a second time”. Avoiding making those same mistakes this season will give Monaco a path out of their nightmarish Groundhog Day scenario and finally give them the Champions League adventure that everyone around the club so craves. For this season, the Europa League must suffice.

Photo source: AS Monaco football club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Princess Charlene’s water mission is taken to northern France

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/08/2022

The Princess Charlene Foundation’s mission continues in the north of France, where teams are helping to teach beach-loving tourists the skills that could one day save their lives.

As the masses head to the coast to escape the heatwave and enjoy a vacation during what is the busiest month of the year, the risk of drowning increases exponentially.

Every three years, Santé Publique France conducts a survey to analyse drownings that have occurred on French territory. The 2018 survey revealed a marked increase in figures compared to the previous survey.

In 2021, the figures confirmed that the most vulnerable groups are children under the age of six, accounting for 26% of drownings, many of which occur in private family swimming pools. People aged over 65 account for 20 % of drownings.

While the causes of these accidents are varied, not knowing how to swim is one of the most important factors of drowning. It is for this reason that the French government has adopted ‘Knowing how to swim’, a policy that is at the origin of The Beach Tour in Loire-Atlantique.

And this year, The Beach Tour has attracted the support of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.

Photo source: L’Etat et le sport en Loire-Atlantique – SD JES 44

The programme takes the form of an awareness-raising village on the beaches of Loire-Atlantique for summer visitors. The target audience is wide: young children, teenagers, young adults, parents, grandparents… because no one is immune from the risks of drowning.

But an emphasis is placed on teaching young kids how to swim, and teaching everybody vital life-saving skills and safe behaviours.

The project travels to beaches throughout the region and can involve up to 200 people per day.

This week, The Beach Tour welcomed Ukranian refugees, providing some potentially life-saving skills to the region’s new residents.

 

 

Top photo source/credit: L’Etat et le sport en Loire-Atlantique – SD JES 44 Facebook page

 

 

 

Interview: Samy Sass on his new restaurant, The Niwaki

by: Cassandra Tanti
07/08/2022

Almost 30 years after the opening of Monaco’s most iconic night venue Sass Café, Samy Sass has embraced his love of Japan to create a new restaurant, The Niwaki, a place that he says was “written in the stars”.

Located on Avenue Princess Grace, opposite Larvotto beach, on the ground floor of the beautiful new Palais de la Plage, The Niwaki is Monaco’s latest hot spot, where lovers of Japanese cuisine – and those looking to enjoy great ambiance – come together in an exclusive environment.

The restaurant, like the art of niwaki (tree shaping), is guided by serenity, patience, and attention to detail, offering Nippon contemporary Japanese cuisine with Mediterranean influences.

And after multiple travels to the land of the rising sun, Samy Sass believes he has come up with the perfect recreation right here in Monaco.

Monaco Life: You and your father are most well-known for the iconic, celebrity-filled Sass Café. When did that open and why did you decide to go in a different direction with this restaurant?

Samy Sass: Sass Café opened its doors in 1993, so next year will be the 30th anniversary. Sass Café is a family establishment – a restaurant, lounge and party all rolled into one. But me, I am passionate about food. I am a foodie.

It was always my dream to open a concept place, particularly Japanese. I’m a huge fan, I’ve been to Japan many times.

After consulting for SBM for five years, and collaborating with Jimmy’z and La Vigie Restaurant and Lounge, I decided to start my own collaboration with partners Dean Carr and Daryl Foster.

© Fabbio Galatioto

Why this location on Avenue Princess Grace?

I was actually conceived in the building next door, I was born in the nearby Estoril building (on this avenue), and I grew up in my mum’s place here on Avenue Princesse Grace. The cherry on the cake is that The Niwaki is at number 37 Avenue Princesse Grace, and 37 is the year my dad was born. So, there we go, it was written in the stars!

During Covid, I discovered that this building opportunity was coming up. I knew the owner and asked him to keep me posted, which he did. I really liked the space and we signed the agreement two days before Christmas 2020, which was the worst timing, but at some point, you just need to take a risk.

We are next to the new Mareterra district, the new Larvotto Plage, and Testimonio II. We have a great location.

Did signing a real estate deal in the middle of a global pandemic play in your favour?

Yes and no. He was happy with the project and I was happy with the conditions. It took us 15 to 16 months to open. But it was always Japan, it was my dream to open a Japanese restaurant and a very Japanese-styled space.

The design is very serene, minimalist, and calming. Is that the ambiance you were going for?

Yes, I wanted to create something that you don’t find anywhere else in Monaco or the South of France. As you can see, the design is very pure and minimalist, very Japanese. We have the wood, the marble, the onyx, and the stone going through the to upper level.

Looking at the big picture, we may want to expand the brand if all goes well here.

It is indeed understated elegance…

Exactly. If you ask me if we’re a gastronomic restaurant, we are not. If you ask me if we are a regular restaurant, we are not. I’m trying to position myself in between – fine dining, but not over the top.

© Fabbio Galatioto

The menu looks beautiful – from the Osciètre Caviar, truffle calamari, and Wagyu tartare, to lobster tempura, chicken Katsu and salmon sashimi… How do you describe the menu?

Japanese fine dining. I don’t think it’s fusion, but you can find things that at first appearance don’t seem Japanese, but they are. I wouldn’t say our menu is 100% Japanese, but its close. Its Japanese contemporary cuisine.

How much influence have you had on the menu creation?

I rely on the team, but we do work together. I have had these ideas since day one. I gave them the DNA, and we worked with that.  We have Corporate Chef Shahar Dahan and Executive Sushi Chef Wagner Spadacio. The more brains behind this, the better it is.

The sushi chef is actually Brazilian, he grew up in Sao Paolo, where there is the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan.

We also have an Italian pastry chef who is very good. So, it’s a very international team.

Do you have a sushi counter?

Yes, we have a counter for six seats, so this is an experience. You can see the way the chefs work and interact; you can see the production of the restaurant. Most of the people who sit there are not eating off the menu, the chef is taking the lead. It’s like art.

We have part of the menu called the Chef’s Touch. It is the addition of the chef’s daily inspiration so if, for example, you order nigiri sushi, you will not have the same at the table as at the counter. It’s eaten just the way it comes, no need to add soya sauce or anything.

It’s a beautiful room, you really feel like you’re in Japan. It’s a different experience. People really love having the food served up in front of them.

© Fabbio Galatioto

Let talk about the bar/lounge. Can you drink there without having to eat?

Yes. I think the lounge will be discovered more in the winter though. When it gets colder, guests will want to have an apero at the bar while waiting for a table.

But we have a great wine list that matches our menu, and we have great sakis as well.

How did you decide on the name of the restaurant?

The name is important. As I always liked the trees in Japan, I found niwaki, which is the art of pruning a tree into a cloud shape. Then that led to the logo of the tree, which is now our brand.”

You are somewhat of a Monaco icon. Do you feel like you had higher expectations coming into this?

Sass is a family business, and my dad and I are above the business. We are a brand. But The Niwaki is another concept, different from the other places I’m involved in. I’m a partner, and I come and see the customers, but I don’t spend as much time here as I do at Sass. We have a great management team here, great staff.

 

The Niwaki is open seven days a week for dinner. Reservations are encouraged to avoid disappointment.

 

Click on the gallery below to see more images of The Niwaki, photos © Fabbio Galatioto… 

Video: A day in the life of Charles Leclerc

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/08/2022

A YouTube video in which Charles Leclerc shares a glimpse of his daily life in Monaco has gone viral in just 24-hours, showing just how popular the Ferrari Formula 1 driver – and Monaco – are among fans.

The 15-minute vlog, posted to Charles Leclerc’s personal YouTube channel on Wednesday 3rd August, follows the 24-year-old throughout the course of one day as he lives his normal daily life in the country he was born and resides.

It begins with the training – and there is a lot of training – and continues to where Leclerc buys his groceries, to how he likes to spend his summer evenings with family and friends.

Leclerc begins the day playing padel with his brothers Arthur and Lorenzo, who he describes as “very competitive”. The brothers share a snapshot of what it was like growing up in a racing family (Charles’ father Hervé raced in F3, as does his younger brother Arthur), and how that spurred them on to be the men they are today.

The video is a beautiful showcase of Monaco, as a trek up to the Tête de Chien with personal trainer and close friend Andrea Ferrari reveals that jaw-dropping birds-eye view of the Principality.

“Monaco is the country where I was born and lived all my life, it is the country that I love,” Leclerc tells the camera.

Charles Leclerc’s confused look as he shops for groceries at the Casino supermarket. Photo: snapshot of the YouTube vlog

We see him freezing his Ferrari socks off in Cryotherapy at the Thermes Marines Monte-Carlo, and at the new Cars Collection of HSH Prince of Monaco, highlighting his first ever racing car, an Alfa Romeo, that he owns and donated to the museum. “I have always dreamed of being an F1 driver, and with this car, my dream came true, which is amazing. But I had another dream, which was to win a Formula 1 race, and this is the car with which I did it,” he says, pointing to the Ferrari with which he won Monza in 2019. “It is probably the best memory I have of Formula 1,” smiles Leclerc, who is currently second in the F1 standings, 80 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Viewers are even given a glimpse of Leclerc’s apartment, the piano that he learnt to play during lockdown, and the Casino supermarket at Port Hercule where he buys his groceries.

But as normal as his day seems thus far, it is how Charles Leclerc ends his day that is perfectly Monegasque – on a yacht, cruising the Mediterranean with his friends and family, dropping anchor at La Reserve de la Mala, and swimming in the warm, turquoise waters of Cap d’Ail with girlfriend Charlotte Sinne. “I’m a family guy, I love family. I want three children,” he reveals, before racing back to Monaco at dusk, the Principality shining in its golden, illuminated glory.

Within 24 hours, the video had been viewed almost 1.2 million times.

“Not the content we would expect, but we really needed something like this, Merci Charles!” summed up a fan.

Watch the video here: