Belgium’s Jolien Boumkwo literally sacrificed herself for the cause at last weekend’s European Athletics Championships, competing in an event that was far from her specialty, but despite her foreseeable difficulties on track, she pulled it off pretend to accept everything with a smile.
The one who excelled as a shot putter agreed to replace injured compatriot Anne Zagré in the 100m hurdles; It was imperative for his country to send a representative to avoid disqualification.
Boumkwo, who relies much more on strength than speed, looked pretty poor against his rivals and couldn’t prevent Belgium’s relegation to the second division. It took her a few more seconds—about twenty—to complete her mission while the rest of the platoon watched her in action.
“I saw in their eyes that they thought it was funny to find me by their side. It’s a bit funny to see someone throwing take their grades for a sprint. “Before the race, someone from the organization came and asked me if it was really me who was running,” she explained, as reported by Le Parisien.
“It was really enjoyable, a unique experience that I will only have once in my life. I really wanted to have fun. Also, instead of one point last time, I got two points because there was a false start in the other series. For us it was the best case.”
Seriously: Boumkwo is aiming for participation in the Olympic Games in Paris in his home discipline.