Blow to Olympic dreams Belgian Cheetahs: Cynthia Bolingo drops out for World Relays

Due to an Achilles tendon injury, Cynthia Bolingo will not be at the World Relays in the Bahamas this weekend. There the Olympic tickets are divided into the different relay numbers.

Cynthia Bolingo is on paper the fastest Belgian woman in the 400 meters. She was the only one ever to run under 50 seconds at last year’s World Championships.

But that speed also comes with a price: Bolingo is prone to injuries. About three months before the Olympic Games, she is back on the sidelines, now with an Achilles tendon injury.

Bolingo sustained that injury during the preparation period of the Belgian Cheetahs in Curaçao. Instead of traveling to the Bahamas for the World Relays, she will return to Belgium.

The Cheetahs have to qualify for the Games in the 4×400 meters without their spearhead. This is also a setback for the 4×400 meter mixed relay.

At the World Relays there are 14 tickets available for the Olympic Games per event. The Cheetahs now have to make do with Hanne Claes, Imke Vervaet, Camille Laus, Naomi Van Den Broeck, Liefde Schoemaker and Kylie Lambert.