Christophe Lemaitre is a French-born track and field athlete who has been representing France in various international tournaments since 2008.
The player started garnering attention quite early in his career. At age 20, he became successful in garnering widespread attention after bagging three gold medals in different categories in the 2010 European Championships.
A fantastic runner Lemaitre still holds many other records, including being one of the few Frenchmen to break the ten-second barrier in the 100 meters sprint.
Now, without further ado, let’s dive more into his life and career in the article. But before proceeding into details, let’s look at some interesting quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Christophe Lemaitre |
| Date of Birth | June 11, 1990 |
| Age | 33 years old |
| Birth Place | Annecy, France |
| Nicknames | White Lightning, The White Rocket |
| Nationality | French |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 feet 3 inches) |
| Weight | 181 lb (82 kg) |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Father Name | Christian Lemaitre |
| Mother Name | Marie Therese Micheli |
| Sibling | Not Available |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend’s Name | Not available |
| Kid’s name | Not available |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Track and Field Athlete |
| Active Years | (2006 – Present) |
| Education | Savoy Mont Blanc University (Savoy, France) |
| Net Worth | $10 million |
| Salary | Not available |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | ASICS Running Shoes |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Christophe Lemaitre | Early Life & Family
Christophe Lemaitre was born in Annecy, France on June 11, 1990. He is the son of Christian Lemaitre and Marie Therese Micheli. While his father was French, his mother belonged to the Italian heritage.
Growing up in Annecy, Lemaitre initially attended a local private school and did his primary schooling there. He became aware of his academic brilliance in early classes and always stood out as one of the best students in his class.
Besides that, Christophe started developing a particular interest in sports from a young age. Although physically weak, he never thought of giving in easily and always strived to give his best in every game he played.
He later tried handball, football, rugby, etc. but never felt satisfied. Although Christophe loved those games, he always felt that something was lacking and told himself that he would never make it if he thought of going professional in the future.
From Team Sports to Sprinting
Christophe has repeatedly admitted to the media that he has always been somewhat introverted and had difficulty facing people. He did not feel easy talking to people, so he was shy and quiet even as a kid.
However, he was heavily into team sports during his childhood. Team sports, as we know, have multiple members and require active participation for a compelling show.
As it needs good coordination and cooperation among those involved, the individual generally needs to be interactive. Contrary to this, Lemaitre was uncomfortable around people and lacked socializing skills.
He has stated that he never liked asking people for their introduction and knowing them, even if some showed interest in him. In such a situation, there was no way he could pursue a team sports career.
Luckily, when he was 15, he came across a sports festival conducted in his hometown where children like him could participate in a sprinting event. It was unique as those who did well there could get a chance to join Athletic Sports Aix, a club for training.
During the National Sprinting event in 2005, Lemaitre became the fastest teenager in the country, he finished the 50-meter sprinting event with the fastest record in the country. His performance impressed the club executives. Consequently, they signed him for training, and his career reached new heights in the coming years.
However, he did not stop his academic career after gaining stardom in track and field sports. He later enrolled in the University of Savoy, where he studied industrial electrical engineering and computer science.
Christophe Lemaitre | Career
Early Career
Christophe Lemaitre started his career playing various national and province-level sprinting tournaments while still a trainee at Athletic Sports Aix. In 2007, he improved his personal best record to 10.53 seconds from the previous year’s 10.96 seconds.
The eighteen-year-old Lemaitre eventually made his World Junior Championships debut in 2008. The campaign was a massive success for the young talent as he returned home with a gold medal, finishing the 200 meters sprinting category in just 20.83 seconds.
European Championships
Christophe’s first European Championships appearance was a blast. He stood out in every sprinting event in that tournament held in Barcelona, Spain. He won three gold medals in all 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4 x 100 meters relay race categories.
Although he never achieved that level of performance in future European Championships later in his career, Christophe kept winning medals for his nation.
In the meantime, Christophe participated in several other European tournaments, including the European Team Championships in 2010. During this same year, he became the first white man to complete 100 meters in less than ten seconds.
The Olympics & The World Championships
Christophe participated in the 2012 London Olympics, but he only appeared on track for the 200 meters and 4 x 100 meters relay race categories.
Before heading to the UK for the Olympics, the player was already aware of his shortcomings, so he did not play 100 meters race. Fortunately, Cristophe returned home with a bronze medal for his third position 4 x 100 meters relay race.
Similarly, he secured a bronze medal in the 200 meters race category during the 2016 Rio Olympics held in Brazil. With that win, he became the first French athlete to win a medal in that category since Abdoulaye Seye in 1960.
Since then, the player has participated in numerous World Championship tournaments without significant success. However, lately, the French athlete has been a bit out of form and unable to perform well in later events.
Christophe had also missed the 2021 French Athletic Championships because of a bad reaction he suffered due to covid vaccination.
Awards & Achievements
- 3 Gold medals at the European Championships (2010)
- Gold medal at the European Championships (2012)
- 2 Silver medals and a bronze medal at the European Championships (2014)
- Bronze medal at the London Olympics (2012)
- Bronze medal at the Rio Olympics (2016)
- Gold medal at the World Junior Championships (2008)
Christophe Lemaitre | Net Worth
Christophe Lemaitre has accumulated a net worth of around $10 million in his sprinting career spanning more than a decade. Although many websites on the Internet mention it to be below the above amount, it is likely true that he has a considerable net worth.
Cristophe mainly earns money through his games. When he was in the prime of his career, he used to make around $85 – $90k per month.
Besides earning from his games, the player has also made money through brand endorsement deals.
He has been associated with a multinational sports kit company named ASICS since he was a young athlete in 2010. The company has supported him through his overall journey, and they have pride in associating with him from the start.
Age & External Features
As of 2024, Christophe Lemaitre is 33 years old.
About his physical stats, Christophe stands 1.90 meters (6 feet 3 inches) tall and weighs around 181 lb (82 kg).
In addition, speaking of his physical features, the fair-complexioned player is seemingly handsome, with light brown hair and blue eyes complimenting his looks.
Christophe Lemaitre | Personal Life
Lemaitre, one of the most popular and successful sprinters of the last decade, Christophe Lemaitre is still searched by many people on the Internet. To be precise, people are primarily interested in the player’s romantic life.
So, we set out to find some in-depth details about his private life to satisfy some of our readers’ queries. After scrolling his social media profiles and information on the Internet, we discovered that he is not engaged in any affairs and is currently single.
Besides that, in the early 2010s, he was rumored to be in a relationship with a French woman named Sophie Tallet. Although they were seen together many times, the two never confirmed that they were having an affair.
Now that Christophe is almost at the end of his long sports career and wants to retire on a good note, he is still focusing on regaining his previous form.
So, his fans may still have to wait a bit longer to know about his relationship status. However, we assure everyone that we will try to shed light upon his personal life in the coming times as soon as we get more information about it.
Christophe Lemaitre & Whiteness
Many people know that Christophe Lemaitre is one of the fastest white men in the world to participate in various world-running events. In 2010, he became the first white individual to run 100 meters in less than ten seconds.
Since then, he went on to make several such records and continued his top-notch performances, and he broke his previous record by completing 100 meters in just 9.92 seconds.
The amazing athlete because of his fair skin, has been given nicknames such as the White Rocket, White Lightening, etc.
While the player is proud that his fans have given him many memorable names and treat him respectfully, he does not like being associated with a specific color.
He firmly believes that his speed and successes have nothing to do with his skin type and is against racism in sports. But, sadly, racism is still prevalent, and people have not stopped associating Christophe’s whiteness with his game even to this day.
Social Media
Instagram: @christophe_lemaitre_officiel
Twitter: @lemaitreathle
Facebook: Christophe Lemaitre Officiel
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Christophe Lemaitre retired?
No, Christophe Lemaitre is not retired. Even though he appears infrequently and is currently out of form, he is still expected to represent France for more years.
Has Christophe Lemaitre ever defeated Usain Bolt?
No, Christophe Lemaitre has never defeated Usain Bolt in a race. The track and field athlete specializes in the 100 and 200 meters race; he was also the first white athlete to break the 10s barrier in an official 100 meters event.
