Already in the morning program, the spectators at the Stade de France do not skimp on encouragement. It charges the young Czech athlete.
“Thank you to everyone for cheering, because it means a lot to me,” she said immediately after learning that she was the last to slip through to the semifinals.
Its performance growth is indeed steep. Last year she won the junior European championship, this year she already finished fourth among the senior elite. She can run well under 51 seconds, she made it to the Olympics and she is not lost among the best in the purple world of the Stade de France.
“I will cry throughout this Olympics, but with happiness. I am extremely happy. At the beginning of the season, I could not have expected that I would reach the semifinals at the Olympics. I have no words,” admitted the Czech quarter-finalist.
Again, she was adorned with a long graceful step. “Finally I was able to run as well as I can.”
He is still three tenths short of his personal record from the European Championship in Rome. What is not, can be. “Since the girls here are running incredible times, I’m kind of hoping that I can pull it off,” she outlined before the semi-finals, which await her on Wednesday evening.
“After all, it’s the Olympics and we’ve already seen that some of the favorites didn’t quite show what they’re always up to. The Olympics are unpredictable, but I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere. I’m very happy to be able to experience it one more time,” said Lurdes Gloria. Manuel.
Advancement to the final hangs very high, Manuel herself is a realist, and the semi-final can thus run smoothly. “I think I will enjoy it and I can go into the race with a clear head because this is already a victory for me,” she added.
No other Czech woman could imitate her. Tereza Petržilková at least improved this year’s maximum to 51.46, which is 21 hundredths behind her personal record from Tábor last year. Lada Vondrová experienced a completely different story at these Games, who finished in 52.15 and will not repeat the semi-final in Tokyo.
“The whole season I was struggling with something and my body wouldn’t let me go. It’s a shame, I’m sorry, but I promise that I gave it my all at this moment,” lamented Vondrová.
Petržilková improved her time from the start by almost half a second. “It was much better, we distributed our forces better. In this atmosphere, it is impossible to run badly,” she also acknowledged the fantastic encouragement from a largely filled stadium on the outskirts of Paris.
“We are happy that we performed the season best in the best race of the season,” emphasized Petržilková.
The Olympic experience is very valuable for her. “Enormous motivation. When I see girls who are at my level, that they ran super times, I believe that I still have somewhere to move forward,” concluded Petržilková optimistically.
