Her coach said Thursday that Bolingo, who finished the individual race in a very good fifth place, has been suffering from a right calf injury since qualifying. It’s about the injury she’s had since the start of the season that shows up sometimes.
To save her calf, Bolingo will not compete in the women’s relay series on Saturday. The final is scheduled for Sunday. Qualification will secure the Leopards a place in the World Relays Championship, where 14 of the 16 tickets for the Paris Olympics will be fielded.
In Bolingo’s absence, Carol Pam will pick Naomi van den Broeck, Emke Vervat, Hani Claes and Helena Bonet on Saturday, with captain Camille Lauss also staying aside.
The Belgian Panthers will compete in the second series in line 5. Cuba, Hungary, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland, the United States, Botswana and Switzerland will be the competitors.
The top three and two fastest losers advance to the final. The Panthers previously finished fifth at the World Cup in Doha in 2019. Last year they finished sixth in Eugene, each time without Bolingo.
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