– I try not to take myself too seriously as an athlete, she says according to SVT even about the somewhat special race that you can see in the video window at the top of this article. Boumkwo is the Belgian record holder in the shot put and came seventh in Friday’s shot put competition during the team EC in Polish Silesia. The 16 best athletics nations in Europe meet there to choose the very best nation. IN HER PROPER ELEMENT: This is how you normally see Jolien Maliga Boumkwo on the athletics track. Photo: AFP But it is also the case that three nations move down from the top level. Then it is necessary to take points in all branches, including exercises where you do not have strong athletes in the first place – or get forfeited. If a nation does not field an athlete at the start, it will receive zero points in the exercise. If you complete and finish last, you get one point. Boumkwo therefore appeared again on Saturday. This time to run the 100 meter hurdles. She finished definitely last in the B heat with a time of 32.81. As one athlete was disqualified, she finished second last, securing Belgium two points. “A bit funny, a bit sweet, a bit ridiculous” The reactions were not long in coming. The former world record holder at 200 and 400 metres, Michael Johnson, quickly came out with this message on Twitter: Photo: Twitter In Norwegian: “I’m struggling with this one. Kind of funny, kind of cute, kind of ridiculous, kind of cool in a way, kind of good, kind of not good.” In comparison, Norway ran without a participant in the men’s 400 meter hurdles on Saturday afternoon and received zero points. As the German athlete broke, Norway would have received two points as long as any of the Norwegian athletes had completed a lap around the course. ATHLETICS PROFILE: He used to run fast. Now Michael Johnson thinks strongly. Photo: AFP On Saturday evening, both Norway and Belgium are below the relegation line, and news’s athletics expert Vebjørn Rodal has no doubts about which nation chose the best strategy. – Belgium is doing the right thing in my eyes, for sure. They secure the points that it is possible to secure, says Rodal, who points out that one of the administrative employees of the athletics association during his time as an active player lined up in the shot put to secure a Norwegian point: Arnhild Hartvedt, who supported 8.97 in the shot put in Basel in 1995. – Is it frivolous to ask people who don’t know what they are doing? – No, they’re not trying either, it’s just to secure points. It’s more team spirit than being frivolous, I think. – Harms the sport It is a view Rodal shares with many. Jolien Maliga Boumkwo gets a lot of praise on social media for doing an exercise she doesn’t master in order to help her team. In the end, she also got that from Michael Johnson: Photo: Twitter In Norwegian: PERFORMER: Kudos to her! BELGIUM: Can’t blame them EUROPEAN ATHLETICS: The lack of elite standards hurts the sport That’s a conclusion Vebjørn Rodal does not disagree with. The Olympic 800 champion points out that many of the nations are without their best athletes. Norway has neither Jakob Ingebrigtsen nor Karsten Warholm with them to Poland. – Germany provides B-rated crew and so does Great Britain. If you remove the support device in the stands, there are no spectators there. I’m guessing the viewing figures around Europe are relatively low, and when the athletes themselves don’t want to participate, what’s left? CRITICAL: Vebjørn Rodal supports Belgium’s choice, but is concerned about the team EC concept. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news The reasoning means that Rodal is left with the following question: – Does the EC for teams go out of date? The sporting director disagrees Norway’s sporting director, Erlend Slokvik, confirms that he would like to have several of the best in the squad. Nevertheless, he believes that the concept has not played its part. – It’s a good convention. There are many good athletes here and many good competitions and good fields, he says to news. He is therefore concerned that Norway should save the place at the top level, to ensure Norwegian athletes the opportunity to compete against good opposition in a team championship. Nevertheless, he defends the decision not to field an athlete in the 400 meter hurdles, in Warholm’s absence. – If we were to field someone, it would have to have been someone who had finished their competitions. I couldn’t take someone who was going to compete further and take the chance that it could go wrong. Then we had none available. After all, most of the guys were going to run a relay or had several races left, says Slokvik UNUSUAL TECHNIQUE: Jolien Maliga Boumkwo demonstrates an alternative way of completing a hurdle race. Photo: Reuters – What do you think about Belgium taking two points in a row with a shot putter? – They must be allowed to do that. That’s the way the system is. – Worth it Jolien Maliga Boumkwo at least has no regrets. – If my two points mean that we remain in the highest division, it has definitely been worth it, she says according to SVT. Then the question is whether it is enough. Before the last day, Belgium is at the very bottom in 16th place. Turkey and Norway are also below the relegation zone. You can see the sprint on news 1 from 16 Sunday.
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Here the shot putter runs hurdles in the European Championship – it creates a great debate – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
