Africa's fastest woman invokes divine intervention in quest for Olympic glory

Africa's fastest woman invokes divine intervention in quest for Olympic glory

Abigael Wafula 12:00 - 07.05.2024

After having a mixed 2023 season, the fastest woman in Africa is seeking divine intervention as she seeks to make an impact at this year's Paris 2024 Olympics.

The fastest woman in Africa, Marie Josée Dominique Ta Lou-Smith is banking on divine intervention to propel the 4x100m women’s relay team to a historic gold medal at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Ivorian sprinter has always been vocal about trusting in God and she will be banking on Him yet again since this is an Olympic season. Ivory Coast qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics after finishing second at the just concluded World Athletics Relays, clocking 42.63 to cross the finish line.

“We want the gold medal…God said you just say it, believe it and He will make it possible. It will be very possible and we are going to work hard. How we wake up is God, how we breathe, and even how we eat, everything is God,” Ta Lou-Smith said.

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The Ivorian had a mixed 2023 season, where she finished fourth in the 100m and eighth in the 200m at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In the 4x100m women’s relay team at the global showpiece, the team did not finish the race.

Late last year in an interview, Ta Lou-Smith opened up about contemplating quitting the track since things never seemed to be working out.

After the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Ta Lou-Smith told BBC Sport that she had made up her mind and informed her management and those close to her about her decision to quit but they did not let her actualise the decision.

She is also very close to three-time Olympic and 10-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and explained that the Jamaican encouraged her not to quit.

“My sister, Shelly, won't let me give up on running. She is constantly reminding me that she is older than me and she is still going strong.

"Her words are loud in my head every single day and she never gets exhausted of motivating me to wake up every morning and do what I like.

"Shelly-Ann is one of the many reasons you will see me in Paris for what could be my last Olympic Games,” she said.

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