European Indoor Athletics Championships: Thirty Belgians involved in the Torun Euro, Thomas Carmoy 1st Belgian on track Thursday
Thirty-two athletes were invited to the Polish track. They will finally be 30 after the withdrawal of Michael Obasuyi (60m hurdles), injured groin in training on Saturday, and Renée Eykens, not yet fully recovered from appendicitis. Many of them were drafted by the Belgian athletics federation eager to expand its delegation to allow the youngest to gain the experience of major championships and earn points for their world ranking.
“This selection is first and foremost a good mix of experience and talent,” according to chef de mission Rutger Smith. “As for the medals, we count of course on established athletes like Nafi Thiam, then in the wake of Noor Vidts, Isaac Kimeli, Elise Vanderelst, Eliott Crestan and 4X400m relay. Then there is a series of athletes who can aim for a place in the final in terms of their performance indoors this season. With this selection, we automatically aim for two medals. That’s what we hope in any case. In major championships, this is not done not on order. Internationally, it would be crazy for a few athletes to miss out on a medal. “
European champion in the high jump among juniors in 2019, Thomas Carmoy will be the first athlete from the Belgian delegation to enter the track on Thursday evening. The 21-year-old Carolo will compete in qualifying from 7 p.m., he who won his first three outings of the indoor season, in Nehvizdy, in the Czech Republic, in Luxembourg and then at the Belgian Championships in Louvain-la-Neuve.
If the athlete were to beat his personal best of 2m28, established in Luxembourg, he could enter the race for the podium. “It is possible but we will see how the competition unfolds”, explained Carmoy, who will try to punctuate an already successful indoor season as well as possible.
Also in contention on Thursday evening, Oussama Lonneux, Stijn Baeten and Michael Somers will contest the first round of the men’s 1500m from 8:20 pm.
The first full day of competition will take place on Friday. Nafi Thiam, arrived in Poland without specific preparation for the hall and after a positive test for the coronavirus which deprived her of the Belgian Championships at the end of February, the Namuroise will still try to shine in the pentathlon, her first in competition since 2017 Noor Vidts will also compete in the pentathlon.
The Torun Euro ends Sunday with the 4x400m finals. The Belgian Tornados will defend their title there, won two years ago at the Indoor Euro in Glasgow. The Belgians had returned from Scotland with two medals, Cynthia Bolingo winning silver in the 400m.