Speedsters of the sports climbing parish have got their own moment in the sun at the Paris Olympics. And Aleksandra Miroslaw shone. Sofiane El Bakkali ran himself into Olympic legend and after a glittering career, Nikola Karabatic retired from handball.
Up in the air
Aleksandra Miroslaw from Poland can go up a 15-metre wall which is leaning back - 5 percent incline if we want to be technical - very fast. She broke her own world record earlier in the Olympics with a new one of 6.06 seconds. She won the gold medal on Day 12 with a time of 6.10 seconds. Her slow-coach Chinese opponent, Lijuan Deng, finished in 6.18 seconds. Honestly. After the introduction of sports climbing at the Tokyo Games in 2021, Paris is the first time that sports climbing had had its own separate men's and women's speed event. Miroslaw, 30, says she's not that interested in going faster. "What I need to see is the green light showing that I've won. After that? Well, I don't know how fast I can go. The sky's the limit," she deadpanned.
So farewell Nikola Karabatic
Born in Serbia 40 years ago, Nikola Karabatic played handball for France. At club level he won 22 titles in France, Germany and Spain. With the France national team, he claimed Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and in Tokyo in 2021. There were also four world titles and four European crowns. No one has done better in major international tournaments. But there won't be an Olympic gold this time around. France lost their last eight game against Germany.
And it was tough
France were a goal up with six seconds to go in the handball quarter-final but Dika Mem's pass was intercepted and Germany levelled. And then went on to win in extra-time. "Cruel, yes, but that's part of sport," Nikola Karabatic told the French broadcaster France TV. "I've won a lot in my career, I've been very lucky, I've worked hard. That's just the way it is. It's terrible to have a twist of fate like that, but you have to accept it."
And it is tough
The review was very impressed with the master of ceremonies at the sports climbing venue in Le Bourget. As the athletes prepared for the quarter-finals in the women's speed event, the MC outlined the import to the 8,000 fans. "Four years of training can go in the slip of a foot ... the world is watching." It's up there with the line we heard just before the women's team final in the archery: "The place is here. The time is now." Is someone writing these scripts? The review is rarely jealous but that job should be ours.
Chasing history
It's a great concept, the 3,000m steeplechase. Stick some hurdles on the track, one of them with water around it and get runners to go over them. The 2024 final was a tight affair right up until the end. The Ethiopian world record holder Lamecha Girma fell at the penultimate hurdle and eventually Soufiane El-Bakkali won it in eight minutes, 06.05 seconds. The 28-year-old Moroccan is only the second man to retain the steeplechase title in its 104 years in the Olympic Games. Volmari Iso-Hollo was the last back-to-back champion in 1932 and 1936. Kudos Mr El Bakkali.
