Flag bearer of the Ivorian delegation in Tokyo, Marie-José Ta Lou leads by example.

For his entry into the running, the 32-year-old athlete impressed, Friday, July 30, in the 100 m series.

She established herself as the boss by showing herself the fastest of the morning with a time of 10 sec 78, beating her personal best by 7 hundredths of a second.

The 2017 vice-world champion equaled the African record of her compatriot Murielle Ahouré, also qualified for the semi-finals.

WOW 🤩



African record equaled for Ivorian Marie Jose Ta Lou #CIV in 10.78 and leads qualifiers in the fastest 100m heats in history of the #OlympicGames at # Tokyo2020



And these are just the series! #Olympics pic.twitter.com/iN5WBDZbZX

- # Tokyo2020 (@alimo_philip) July 30, 2021

Overcome the disappointment of Rio

In Japan, Marie-José Ta Lou has a rendezvous with History.

She dreams of becoming the first Ivorian sportswoman to win Olympic gold.

Five years ago in Rio, the champion had come close to the feat.

In the 100m final, the Ivorian failed at the foot of the podium for a thousandth, just behind the two-time defending champion, Jamaican Shelly Ann Fraser-Price.

It was the photo finish that finally decided between the two women for bronze.

Particularly disappointed, the sprinter had asked her people for forgiveness after the race, at the microphone of RFI: "It's hard, it's a big test for me. If I had finished last ... But there, it does not boil down to nothing. To have been so close is a great pain ". Decidedly cursed, the sprinter also took fourth place in the 200m final.

Throughout her career, Marie-Josée Ta Lou has experienced several disappointments.

Initially, the young woman, who preferred football, was not predestined for athletics.

Her family was even against it, as she told on the official Olympics website.

“When I started, my mom didn't want me to do athletics,” she recalls.

“People around me were like, 'You come from Africa, I don't think you can become someone. You have to continue your studies, you have to work in an office.'

But I felt it because I loved running so much. That's how I operate. "

A shower of medals

His talent is quickly spotted. In 2010, the Ivorian Athletics Federation offered him a scholarship to train in China. But the experience is not conclusive. "It was a little difficult. You had to grope between studies and sport," she explained on the IvoirTV television site.

After two years, she is back on the African continent.

She then joined the high performance training center of the International Athletics Federation in West Africa where Anthony Koffi officially became her coach.

A choice that pays off.

Even if the frustration is great in Rio, Marie-José Ta Lou has never lost her positivity.

After this poor performance, she goes on to medals.

In 2017, at the London Worlds, she won silver in the 100 and 200 m.

A year later, she also finished 2nd at the World Indoor Championships over 60m.

In 2019, she won the bronze medal at the Worlds in Doha over 100 m in 10 sec 90, behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Dina Asher-Smith.

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A post shared by Marie josée Ta Lou (@majotalou)

A model in Africa

His disappointment during the last Olympics finally gave him strength. “Rio gave me the confidence, the experience and the motivation to go back to training and work hard,” she says. Since then, the champion has even become a model. Very followed on social networks, it inspires the athletes of tomorrow. "When they see where I started, it gives them hope. Young people can believe in them. I want to show them that they can do whatever they want and accomplish great things," said she does. "I didn't think that by doing what I do, I could be an example to others. You don't need much to be a star. Just work hard and believe in yourself."

The Ivorian now only hopes for one thing: to win, finally, this Olympic award that she touched on in Rio.

"The goal of any athlete participating in the Olympics is to be able to bring home a medal, that's my main goal. I remain focused on the preparation, on my race, and I really hope to be able to achieve what I do in training. We put everything in the hand of God, we pray and we hope we can achieve it! ", she told Life magazine.

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A post shared by Marie josée Ta Lou (@majotalou)

Before reaching this goal, she will cross on her way the stainless Jamaicans: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, double Olympic 100m champion in 2008 and 2012 and the fastest sprinter of the season, and her compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah, reigning Olympic champion.

The 100m semi-final will take place on Saturday.

She will then be competing in the 200m from Monday.

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