Female shot putter takes part in 100m race as fans praise ‘ultimate team player’

A female shot putter has been branded the "ultimate team player" after stepping in to replace her injured colleague in the 100m hurdles.

Having already competed in the shot put and hammer throw events at the European championships in Poland on Saturday, Belgium's Jolien Boumkwo well and truly stepped out of her comfort zone for the sake of her nation.

Belgium's 100m hurdler Anne Zagre had pulled out of the race with a last-minute injury, so Boumkwo took her place to ensure her country wouldn't be disqualified.

The powerfully-built 29-year-old, who chose to step rather than jump over the obstacles, ended up crossing the line in 32.81 seconds, nearly 20 seconds slower than the eventual winner, but her paltry attempt won the hearts and minds of fans everywhere.

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"This is awesome! Another reason why track is such a great team sport, as well as great individual sport, too," one person tweeted.

A second user wrote: "This brought a smile to my face, what a legend. And good on those at the end who went and congratulated her!" Others branded her "adorable", "a Queen" and "the ultimate team player".

Remarkably, because Switzerland received a disqualification during the race, Boumkwo's selfless efforts secured two points for Belgium, rather than just one for competing.

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"My team is the most important thing for me … it's no joke. One for the team," she told reporters after the event. "I couldn't let it happen to lose by one point."

"When I was asked, I immediately liked it, but only with the approval of my coach. He agreed if I took it easy and didn't take any risk of injury.

"We sometimes do hurdles in training, so I know how to do it. I thought it was a special experience, because much more than with the shot put I had the feeling that everyone was looking at me.

"I try not to take myself too seriously as an athlete. The past has taught me that that will only make you cramp. If my two points ensure that we stay in the top division, this will certainly have been worth it."

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