Belgium’s road to Olympic gold: the 4x400m relay
At the last Olympics in Tokyo, Belgium had its most successful Games since 1948, with a total of seven medals. This year's Paris Olympics could be even better, with plenty of Belgian candidates in the running for a medal. Today, Belga English looks at the 4x400m relay.
The 4x400m relay is one of the most popular athletic events at the Olympics, with its exciting mix of short distance running and thrilling baton passes. Belgium will have three chances for gold, with the male Belgian Tornados, the female Belgian Cheetahs and the recently introduced mixed team.
The Tornados, the current European indoor and outdoor and world outdoor champions, are without a doubt among the favourites for a medal in Paris. However, despite their successes at other major tournaments, they have yet to win an Olympic medal. They have reached the finals at every Olympics since 2008 but have finished fourth three times. Even a national record at the 2020 Tokyo Games wasn't enough for a medal.
The current team might be able to change that. Alexander Doom will be the key: he won gold in the individual 400m in June’s European Championships in Rome, where he also guided the Tornados to a fourth European title. If he can maintain his form until the finals, he could help secure a first-ever Olympic medal for the Tornados.
Belgian Cheetahs
While the female team, the Cheetahs, don't have the history of the Tornados, they have also been making waves recently. After seventh place in Tokyo, the Cheetahs have kept improving, recently winning bronze at the European Championships in Rome.
Just like Doom and the Tornados, their success will depend to a large part on Cynthia Bolingo, the only Belgian woman in history to run 400m in under 50 seconds. Unfortunately, she is also injury-prone, and missed the World Relays in May due to a vein and nerve problem. If she maintains her form, an Olympic medal is not out of the question.
Lastly, for the second time in Olympic history, there will also be a mixed relay event. Belgium outperformed expectations in 2021, finishing fifth while setting a national record. The European Championships in Rome showed the team is on the right track, as they narrowly missed out on a medal in fourth place.
The mixed relay final will take place on 3 August, while both the men’s and women’s finals are scheduled for a week later, on 10 August.
The men's 4x400m relay team celebrate at the European Championships in Rome, June 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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