In a few hours the Olympic flame will have to be extinguished in Tokyo throwing by the same occasion the rie on the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games of the modern era. The next one will take place in Paris in 2024.
Competitions that have generated their share of emotions, surprises and disappointments.
For Mauritius, no medal or final even if our representatives have not deserved. But it must be said that the level of the athletes was at the level of an Olympiad, even in the middle of the Covid 19 pandemic.
In boxing, our two compatriots, Merven Claire (-69 kg) and Richarno Colin (-63 kg) have not demerited. They were both exemplary, but could not reach the semi-finals, synonymous with at least a podium. ( In Olympic boxing a semi-finalist is guaranteed to win at least a bronze medal. As it was the case in 2008 at the Beijing Games by Bruno Julie, the only Mauritian Olympic medallist for the moment. )
Merven Clair first defeated the Canadian SANFORD Wyatt Sanford, then the Jordanian Zeyad Eishaih Hussein Eashash after a hard-fought battle. Unfortunately, in the quarter-finals he lost to the Irishman Aidan Walsh after a very good fight. It was a pity because the Irishman forfeited the semi-finals, leaving the door to the final wide open to his opponent, the British Pat Mc Cormack. The latter lost in the final to his Cuban opponent Roniel Iglesias.
Richarno Colin defeated the Moroccan Abdelhaq Nadir before losing to the Russian Gabil Mamedov. This last one who lost to the American Keyshawn Davis who will play the final this Sunday August 8th.
An Olympic experience that will allow our two pugilists to better prepare themselves for the African Games of 2023 in Ghana.
In athletics, then, the hurdler Jeremie Lararaudeuse unfortunately could not pass the series of the 110 m hurdles. However, the 20-year-old athlete proved that from now on he will be a force to be reckoned with in the next competitions. His time of 14’03 is proof of this. A personal best performance that gives him a boost to approach the national record of Judex Lefou (13”92 ).
In swimming, Mathieu Marquet, who was competing in the 100m freestyle, finished fourth in his heat with a time of 53”56.
And Alicia Kok Shun, the national recordwoman of the 100m breaststroke also passed by, taking the 7th place of her series in the time of 1. 15”42.
Julien Paul (badminton), Rémi Feuillet (judo; -90 kg) and Roilya Ranaivosoa (weightlifting; -49 kg) also fell in their respective disciplines.
Honorable results certainly, taking into account the economic situation and the pandemic that is still raging, but that will not make us forget the golden age of Mauritian sport, when Stephan Buckland finished 6th in the final of the 200m at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, the long jumper Jonathan Chimier finished 10th at the same Games or Eric Milazar, semi-finalist in the 400m at the Athens Olympics.
And in 2008 the boxer Bruno Julie, won in Beijing, the only Mauritian Olympic medal for the moment. Bronze which for the moment is worth gold.
