A ‘goodwill gesture’ from Belgian shot putter Julien Bomko (29) to make up for Anne Zagrey’s failure in the 100m hurdles at the European Games for Team Belgium made her headlines around the world. CNN also wanted to know her story: “My race in my head looked more elegant than what I saw in the video. (He laughs)“
“Teamwork makes the dream work”The American news channel CNN announced the fascinating story of the Belgian athlete at the European Games in Poland. The presenter thought it was great that Boumkwo wanted to “save” the Belgian team last Saturday by jumping into the loophole for Zagré to secure a point. Although she didn’t have a chance to have a good time in the shot, she had a strong, energetically trained body. “You see, hurdles aren’t her strong suits,” the CNN presenter said in images in which Bumko cruises over the hurdles and ends up running away from the others. After its completion, you receive congratulations from the other athletes. Bumko also treats the audience to a dance move.
I only had two forms. I wanted to get over the line and not fall because we needed that point. In addition, I wanted to perform my technique well and not treat another athlete with disrespect
Julian Bomko
“I only had two shapes,” Bumko told CNN in the interview, “I wanted to cross the line and not fall, because we needed that point. Other than that I wanted to do my technique well and not treat another athlete with disrespect, because that’s not my event.”
Bumko told CNN she was impressed with the crowd’s reaction: “Well, initially when they saw me come to the starting point, they were like, ‘Huh, is that right?'” I saw people laughing a little bit, but it’s okay. It must be a special situation to look at. When people saw that I really enjoyed it, they said, ‘Okay, cool belgium. They really screamed at me to the end. In my head it looked a bit more elegant than what I saw in the video, but it could have been worse, so I’m glad I have a tangible reminder of a great moment.”
AW Athletics Weekly
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Footage of her race was spread on the Internet and several news media outlets reported by Reuters. The New York Times in America and the Guardian in England also paid attention to him. CNN asked Pomco if she was famous before? “No, I wonder how you can be more famous. (…) It’s too crazy for words.” She also appreciated the many reactions on social media: “Really nice messages, so many people shared the story. I’m glad that this race symbolizes team spirit and that it connects people from different situations, from professionals to non-professionals, people who don’t like sports. It’s Heart-warming.”
Bomko posted a time of 32.81 in the 100-meter hurdles, twenty seconds behind the Polish winner, Pia Skrzyszowska. Due to the Swiss’s elimination, Bomko finished in fifteenth place, gaining two points. Although her well-intentioned efforts weren’t enough at the end of the trip: the Belgian athletics team was relegated from the first division. In her discipline, Boumkwo placed seventh last Friday out of sixteen participants with a best throw of 16.58 metres.
Read also. ‘I try not to take myself too seriously as an athlete’: Shot putter Bomko must jump through the 100m hurdles and give Belgium 2 more points
