Aleksandra Miroslaw (Poland) and Bassa Mawem (France), both Tokyo 2020 Olympians, won their Olympic tickets to Paris 2024 at yesterday’s European Speed Qualifier in Rome.
Miroslaw’s victory was redemption after she slipped in the semi-final at the World Championship in Bern last month, losing out on an Olympic ticket to Emma Hunt.
In Rome, she appeared more calm and relaxed. After the semi-final presentation, she was not encouraging other athletes off the stage as she had done previously. When preparing to race, she looked more composed than usual.
Miroslaw ran a new World Record time of 6.24s in qualification and under 6.52s in every run in the competition.
Her slowest time in the competition was faster than anyone else’s fastest time.
She is that much faster.
In the final, she slipped at the top against Lison Gautron (France) in the quarter-finals. Because she had both feet on the hold, she still didn’t fall and progressed to the semi-finals.
In the semi-final and final, she would face her compatriots, Natalia and Aleksandra Kalucka. Both Kalucka sisters would slip in the final section of the route, while Miroslaw had fast, clean runs to win the Olympic ticket.
In her winner’s interview, Miroslaw said
“This was the first time in a long time where I really enjoyed a competition. I finally found a really good mindset and I am really proud of myself. It was emotionally and physically exhausting, but it was worth it.”
Mawem's competition started with a quick qualification round. He finished third with a time of 5.33, behind Hryhorii Ilchyshyn (Ukraine) in 5.29 and Pierre Rebreyend (France) in 5.26.
In the final, he first beat Raff Stokes (UK) comfortably to reach the quarter-final round. Ukrainian Yaroslav Tkach false started in the quarter-final round, allowing Bassa to pass through uncontested to the semi-final round.
By the semi-final round, the two athletes with the fastest PRs, Pierre Rebreyend (France) and Ludovico Fossali (Italy), had been knocked out.
The semi-final round included two legends of Speed climbing, Bassa Mawem and Marcin Dzienski (Poland), and two newcomers, Hryhorii Ilchyshyn (Ukraine) and Leander Carmanns (Germany).
Mawem would beat Ilchyshyn in a close race, 5.30 to 5.39, equalling his PR.
Dzienski and Carmanns would draw in the other semi-final, both with a time of 5.368s. Both celebrated simultaneously before confusion and bewilderment set in as they noticed the other athlete had the same time. They would race again after the mandatory wait time had elapsed. Both athletes were even faster, both setting new PRs. Dzienski would be faster, winning 5.27 to 5.31.
Although Dzienski was faster on paper in the final, Mawem took the lead early on and extended it through the run, winning in a time of 5.281, a new PR, over Dzienski in 5.345.
In his winner’s interview, Mawem said
“I am very happy to have two chance at the Olympics. I want to finish my career at the best event and now I can and I am very happy for that. In Tokyo it was really hard when I got injured, but I came back. Now the only thing I want is to be at my best in Paris.”
Results
Women
- Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL)
- Aleksandra Kalucka (POL)
- Natalia Kalucka (POL)
Men
- Bassa Mawem (FRA)
- Marcin Dzienski (POL)
- Hryhorii Ilchyshyn (UKR)
