Belgian shot putter and hammer throw champion Jolien Boumkwo jumped through literal hurdles to keep her team alive in the European Championships in Poland this weekend.
After two of her teammates were injured, Boumkwo volunteered to run the 100m hurdles race to get at least some points for Belgium to make sure her team didn’t get automatically disqualified. A Belgian athlete competing at the event was vital, as the bottom three countries will be relegated from Division 1.
She had finished seventh in the shot put competition the day before.
“My team is the most important thing for me. I couldn’t let it happen to lose by one point. That’s why I’ve considered taking part in 100m hurdles,” Boumkwo said. “There was no risk for me if I took it calmly. Maybe it’s once in a lifetime opportunity to take a part in such run. I really enjoyed the race. There were a few doubts in my mind but now I can tell I’m glad about this new experience.”