Weightlifting lady Nina Sterckx can gradually book her ticket for the Olympic Games in Tokyo (23 July – 8 August). The 18-year-old top talent has mathematical certainty that she can go to Japan. Her coaches Bieke Vandenabeele and Tom Goegebuer confirmed this to Belga on Friday.
Sterckx has made an impression in recent months. On Monday she won the silver medal (in the category up to 55 kilograms) at the World Championships for juniors in the Uzbek capital Tashkent. In April she took the bronze (also in the category up to 55 kilograms) at the European Championship for seniors in Moscow.
Vandenabeele and Goegebuer confirmed that thanks to her strong performance, Sterckx has mathematical certainty to be in the top eight of the Olympic rankings in the category up to 49 kilograms at the end of next month – a necessity to be allowed to go to the Games. The suspension of Vietnam for doping violations plays in Sterckx’s favor, as does the rule that each country may only issue a maximum number of participants, which puts the large countries at a disadvantage.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has yet to ratify Sterckx’s Olympic qualification. Subsequently, the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC) also has to officially give the green light.
After the Olympic ranking, Tan is sure of a ticket for the Games
Lianne Tan has received assurance on Friday about participating in the Olympic Games in Tokyo (July 23-August 8). The thirty-year-old badminton star was told by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) that the player ranking will be frozen from today. Tan is therefore sure of her Olympic ticket. Previously, she also participated in the 2012 Olympics, in London, and 2016, in Rio de Janeiro.
Due to the corona pandemic, the Malaysian Open and Singapore Open were crossed, two tournaments that were scheduled for the coming weeks and still count for the Olympic ranking. The World Federation decided to finalize the ranking on Friday. Tan, number 24 in the world, is so sure of her Olympic ticket. The top 38 (two participants per country in the top 16) can participate in Tokyo.
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