Femke Paul easily advanced to the semi-finals in the 400m hurdles, while the question was how she was doing after her violent fall in the 4x400m mixed relay. “I actually don’t want to talk about Saturday anymore,” she said after winning the series.
When Femke Boll reported to the Dutch press after her series win, she ran into training friend Kathleen Peters, who was thrilled with her qualification to the semi-finals in the 400m hurdles. They congratulate each other, and then Peters says: “I’ll give you the stick.” Paul laughs and decides to recognize the elephant in the room right away. ,,Thank you. I got it. “I will do my best not to fall.”
It may be obvious. A much-discussed fall on the final lap of the 4x400m mixed relay was a major disappointment, as the Netherlands appeared to be on the golden track until Paul developed less speed and eventually lost control. But now the 23-year-old from Amersfoort has managed to make a joke about sporting a sledgehammer hit.
I won’t let one bad moment ruin my entire week
Femke Paul
She says she wasn’t physically bothered by her fall on Saturday, but doesn’t want to say much about the time between falling before 10pm on Saturday night and dealing with the disappointment until the new race on Monday night. “I actually didn’t want to talk about Saturday anymore at this point. I’ve turned it off for now. I’ll think about it more in a week. I’m at the World Cup. I’ve worked hard for this for a year. I’m not going to let one bad moment ruin my week.” “The whole thing. Now I put it behind me and focus on it.”
Despite everything, she says she feels relieved. Her body does not show any defects. “I’m looking forward to the tournament now starting with the hurdles. The best part. The atmosphere on the court is great.”
However, her 400m series is the one that suits the favourite. A good start, and despite his apparent restraint, he went on to win without any problems with a time of 53.39 seconds. Ball also noted that the crowd’s reaction was palpable when her spokeswoman spoke throughout the stadium. “I saw people looking at me out of pity or with the idea that I’m crazy for standing here. But the crowd is really great. And my parents are also screaming really loudly. So maybe that’s it.”
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