Photo by ERIK VAN LEEUWEN/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
With Team Belgium facing disqualification, the shot putter tried her hand at the hurdles
Every point counts at the European Team Championships.
And thanks to Jolien Boumkwo, Team Belgium came away with two unexpected points in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles.
The European Team Championships are a track and field event that determines an overall winner based on results in both men’s and women’s events. The participating nations are divided into three divisions, and the results of the Championships will see the teams at the bottom relegated for the next Championships, to be held in two years’ time.
This year’s Championships, held in Poland, just finished on Sunday and saw Team Italy finish at the top of the table, followed by Team Poland and Team Germany. But one of the more fascinating stories involved one of the teams at the bottom of the table, Team Belgium.
Shot putter Jolien Boumkwo, who finished in seventh place in her event earlier in the week, stepped up for a big way for Team Belgium. With their lead hurdler injured and unable to compete in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles, and Team Belgium facing relegation, they desperately needed to get points anyway possible.
Making matters worse, the team would have been disqualified if, having entered a participant in the event, they did not have a hurdler.
So Boumkwo ran in her teammate’s place:
She came in last in her heat, but still secured two unexpected points for Team Belgium.
“My team is the most important thing for me,” said Boumkwo.
“I couldn’t let it happen to lose by one point. There was no risk for me if I took it calmly.”
Those two points managed to pull Team Belgium out of last place. While they were not enough to save the team from relegation, Boumkwo did everything she could to help the team avoid the drop.
And taught us all a lesson about stepping up when your team needs you.
