Belgium hurdler Anne Zagré was going to run the 100-meter event, but had to withdraw due to injury. 400-meter specialist Hanne Claes was unavailable due to an injury of her own. Belgium eventually turned to Jolien Boumkwo, who traditionally competes in the shot put and hammer throw.
Boumkwo is one of the best in the world at the shot put and hammer throw, holding 12 records across the two sports. She later said she’s done some hurdles in training, but it’s not something she’s done in a competitive atmosphere. She went and ran the hurdles at a slow pace in order to avoid an injury.
If you’re wondering why Belgium was so desperate to have a non-hurdler run the event, it comes down to the format of the European Athletics Team Championships. Every finisher earns points, and total team points dictate not only the gold, silver, and bronze team finishes, but also whether or not a country gets relegated.
Belgium competes in the first division of the Championships. The three lowest ranked teams at the end of the event will be relegated to the second division. In the end, Belgium came up short and was relegated, falling 6.5 points from avoiding relegation. They came up short, but Boumkwo at least offered them a chance to avoid relegation. Every point counts and the two she earned the team was better than taking a zero. And she appeared to have a blast taking advantage of the opportunity!
Boumkwo is one of the best in the world at the shot put and hammer throw, holding 12 records across the two sports. She later said she’s done some hurdles in training, but it’s not something she’s done in a competitive atmosphere. She went and ran the hurdles at a slow pace in order to avoid an injury.
If you’re wondering why Belgium was so desperate to have a non-hurdler run the event, it comes down to the format of the European Athletics Team Championships. Every finisher earns points, and total team points dictate not only the gold, silver, and bronze team finishes, but also whether or not a country gets relegated.
Belgium competes in the first division of the Championships. The three lowest ranked teams at the end of the event will be relegated to the second division. In the end, Belgium came up short and was relegated, falling 6.5 points from avoiding relegation. They came up short, but Boumkwo at least offered them a chance to avoid relegation. Every point counts and the two she earned the team was better than taking a zero. And she appeared to have a blast taking advantage of the opportunity!
