This is four more teams than during the inaugural edition in 2014, in which only the Belgian Tornados participated, and two teams more than during the last two editions, in Japan (2019) and Poland (2021).
The difference ? The arrival on the international scene of the Belgian Cheetahs, present for the first time in 2019, a year when the athletic program also opened up to the mixed 4x400m relay, and the addition for the first time of two 4x100m relays – the Belgian Falcons for men and the Belgian Rockets for women – two projects which were wisely brought back to life in the wake of the Tokyo Games.
The stakes in the Bahamas are the same for everyone and it is high: in each of the five events, 14 of the 16 places available at the Paris Olympic Games will be allocated in the space of two rounds (eight in the heats, four during of a repechage round).
The objective for Belgium is obviously to qualify as many relays as possible and achieve a flawless finish. Realistic? “Three qualified teams out of five would be good, four teams would be considered a great success, and if all five teams qualify, we will have to open the champagne!” summarized Lieve Van Mechelen, the coach of the men's 4x100m relays, in a podcast broadcast by Sporza. “If our team qualifies, it would be an achievement. But I think we have a very real chance.”
Not the same expectations
Expectations are actually not quite the same depending on the teams. Let's take the Belgian Tornados to start. Driving force of Belgian athletics since 2008, this team is in the race for a fifth consecutive Olympic qualification. Obviously, no one imagines that it could fail at the Paris Games at the time of the symbolic handover with Kevin and Jonathan Borlée. At Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, she will have to showcase her experience, her knowledge of running (watch out for the windy conditions on the island!) and her intrinsic speed. Galvanized by their new indoor world title, driven by the desire to pay tribute to the difficult fight led by their friend Julien Watrin, the Tornados will be there, that's a (almost) certainty.
Accustomed to international finals, driven by an ambition similar to that of their male counterparts, the Belgian Cheetahs are for their part looking for a second consecutive presence at the Olympic Games. On several occasions in recent years, they have demonstrated that they are among the best 4x400m relay teams in the world. Most often without Cynthia Bolingo, who will be the main absentee from the Belgian delegation after having had to withdraw due to injury. Our torchbearers, whose form coach Carole Bam was able to appreciate, have all the qualities required to advance to the final and get their hands on the Olympic ticket. But you will obviously have to race “right” tactically.
The remark also applies to the mixed 4x400m relay, considered a chance for a potential medal in Paris where the program will offer a longer recovery time to the fastest elements before attacking the other events. But first you have to qualify. Belgium can fortunately rely on a fairly large core, where different individuals are entirely capable of holding their place. It remains to find the right balance in the composition.
Are the Belgian Rockets following in the footsteps of their glorious elders, who became Olympic champions in 2008 in Beijing? The current women's 4×100 m, led by its two arrows Rani Rosius and Delphine Nkansa, in any case has ambition to spare, having signed the fastest time in its recent history, a few days ago, at Curaçao, and aims to return to the Olympic Games sixteen years later.
Like the women's sprinters, the 4x100m runners still lack boards at the highest level, but the prospect of qualifying for the Games has already allowed everyone to lower their personal best for two years. A good surprise cannot certainly be ruled out from the Kobe Vleminckx gang, the fastest 100m sprinter since Patrick Stevens, but we will have to take care of the transmissions to achieve the feat!
