After a strong performance in Brussels on Friday, the 35-year-old Ivorian sprinter has shared what keeps her at the top of the game in the face of competition from younger runners.
Africa’s fastest woman, Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, has finished in third place in the 100 meters in the Diamond League final on Friday. She attributes her longevity to her strong faith and hard effort.
After a challenging season marred by injuries and subpar form, Ta Lou-Smith entered the race under tremendous pressure to put a smile back on her face and delivered.
After finishing in third position with a time of 11.05 seconds, the 35-year-old trailed behind Olympic winner Julien Alfred of St. Lucia (10.88 seconds) and British athlete Dina Asher-Smith (10.92 seconds).
Given her season thus far and the lineup in Brussels, which featured world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, British daryll Neita, American Tamara Davis, and The Gambia’s Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye, who had already stunned her this season, few would have predicted Ta Lou-Smith to place third.
“I’m pleased with the outcome. She remarked after the race, “I didn’t expect to run faster tonight, but it was really cold to sprint.”
“Because of my injuries, this season was incredibly difficult for me. Although returning wasn’t easy mentally, I was able to accomplish it.
“I´m always happy to run here in Brussels with the amazing crowd. How do I manage to stay at this level for so many years? I owe it all to my faith and the hard work that I did over the years.”
Though one of the pre-race favorites, Richardson finished a surprise eighth place with an 11.23, in a race that saw some startling finishes.
Even though Richardson will be eager to make apologies, Ta Lou-Smith’s campaign is not finished as she still has the 200-meter race on Saturday. She will enter the competition with confidence.
Along with Richardson, the event also included three other Americans: Brittany Brown, Tamara Clark, and Anavia Battle; her Ivorian compatriot, Maboundou Kone; and another British runner, Amy Hunt.
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