Written by Trackandmemes on April 1, 2022
You have just made a new Belgian record in 3:30.58, as well as a qualification for the finals of the world championships. Does this result confirm what you came for?
Yes, our goal was to make the national record. We knew that once in the finals, anything could happen.
This time it wasn't in our favor, but that's part of the sport. We achieved our main goal, so we can't really complain.
Before each championship, all the girls get together and write down their goals. The national record is what all the girls were looking at. When we write down our goals, we remain realistic, but we also like to dream. For the future we stay positive because we always manage to reach the set goal. This helps us with our motivation and belief.
When you arrived in Belgrade, what was the atmosphere between you girls?
Arrived in Belgrade, there was immediately a nice atmosphere. The first day, we felt tired, but we went directly on the track. We did trainings together, relay passages too. Everything went well. We were very concentrated. What helped was the fact that there was a great atmosphere and that we didn't put pressure on ourselves. This championship was a bonus for us. We wanted to have fun and gain experience, because this is not the biggest championship of the year, there are still two big championships going on. Having less pressure allowed us to relax before the race. The two new athletes who joined the Cheetahs were reserves, so we were able to get to know each other better. The chemistry with them and us was great. It shows that being part of the Cheetahs is a great experience.
The Tornados (Belgian men's 4x400m team) won gold a few minutes before your performance. Did this put pressure on you, or on the contrary, did it motivate you?
We were in the call room when the Tornados won. The English girls were in front of us watching TV, and we could see them supporting the English who were also running in the men's 4x400m final. We, as girls, were quietly watching the race, and when we saw Kevin we exploded with joy, while keeping our energy. That motivated us enormously. We said to ourselves that the boys got the gold, the objective for which they trained for many years, and now, in our turn, we will represent Belgium as well as possible.
Even if their victory made us happy, we also had to focus on our own race. So we immediately calmed down and refocused.
In the end, we didn't know how to use all this motivation, because we were last at the beginning of the race. But despite everything, we were very happy for the boys, even after our race.
Did the race go as you planned ?
Honestly, no. We thought we had a lot more energy, but from the beginning we weren't in it. It surprised us that we couldn't catch the main group, especially when we saw the gap getting bigger. It's demotivating to be so far behind, and it affects the next runner who has to continue. But that's the way sports is, you just have to accept it and keep the positive parts.
After the race, we talked to the girls, but there was no explanation as to why we were slower than our time in the heat. We thought we were going to go back for more. Sometimes there are things you can't control, but you just have to accept it. We were surprised because we wanted to do better in terms of time.
What will you remember about this great adventure?
The national record, the place in the final, and the moment we knew we were going to the final. That moment was an explosion of joy, and relief too. We knew it was possible, but in relays anything can happen. There are always aspects that are not under control. We achieved our goal, and we really had fun. This was the first indoor championship the Cheetahs have done since Glasgow.
An anecdote about these worlds?
The temperature in our room was 26/27 degrees. It was much too high and we suffered a bit the first days.
Another anecdote for me Naomi was that it was the first time in a relay race that I was in danger of losing the baton. Lieke Klaver almost went to lane 2, and I was hesitating between going to the inner or outer lane. I was afraid I would be pushed off the track if I went to the inner lane. I had no choice, I switched to the right and went around. That was my first push off. But we learned from that experience, learned how to react when something like that happens.
One last anecdote is that after the championships, there are always parties where people slack off. It's a bit strange to see Recordman or Gold Medalist slacking off. We always think that top athletes must be extremely serious, must sleep ... We have ideas about athletes reaching a certain level, but without giving details, I have never seen such a big contrast between what we think and what actually happens, when the championships are over.
What would you say to the new youth who hope to take over from you in the Belgian women's 4×400 at a big competition like this?
Everything is possible. You don't have to put limits on yourself. One race is enough. You should never give up. If you choose the 400-meter discipline, you have to do it for the right reasons, because you love the event. You have to work hard, because it's not going to come easy, but it's worth it. It's worth it to reach big championships and to be part of Belgian history.
What would you like to say to your coach today after this performance?
Thank you. Thank you for all the support. Carole is not only a coach for us. When we are at the trainings, or in the internship, she is like a mother. She is a psychologist, a therapist, a coach. She has many roles in situations that can be difficult. She's the person you can tell everything to. All the Cheetahs have that connection with her. We feel comfortable. So we would say thank you, and that we will continue to do our best. To bring home that medal, not just for ourselves, but for her.
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