After achieving an incredible 2h08.44 at the end of 2023 in Valencia (6th Belgian performance of all time), Paquet gradually convinced himself that he had to at least try one last time to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games. To do this, he had no choice: do better than Michael Somers (2h08:09), third fastest among the Grail contenders behind Bashir Abdi and Koen Naert.
“My preparation went very well”, he explained before going to Germany with some supporters. “I added more volume and intensity, without injury. From there to go find the 36 seconds that I’m missing…”
In 2nd row on the starting grid (15,000 people), Amaury Paquet started on a slightly suicidal basis (2h07.08), at a little over 3 minutes per kilometer. Installed in the 2nd group, quite quickly left behind by the first party at 2'56/kilo, the Belgian found himself in a group of around twenty runners in which was also Thomas De Bock, another candidate for the feat.
This hellish pace lasted until the halfway mark, which he passed in 1h03'48 while his personal best on the semi is 1h02'19. Alas, that's where the beautiful machine stalled.
Timed in 1h18'28, or at an average speed of 3'46 for the last 4 kilometers, the Seraing Athletics athlete could say goodbye to his Olympic dream. Leaving too quickly? Technical problem (shoes, etc.)? Muscle problem? At the time of writing these lines, it is impossible to get an answer.
No Games for Thomas De Bock either
As for Thomas De Bock, who had done the first half of the race alongside Paquet, he disappeared from the radars between the 30th and 35th kilometers.
Victory in this marathon went to Kenyan Bernard Koech, in 2h04.23.
Intermediate times of Amaury Paquet
- Km 5: 15'04
- Km 10: 30'05
- Km 15: 45'25
- Km 20: 1:00:28
- Semi: 1:03:48
- km 25: 1:18:28.
