Paris, 2 August 2024 (TDI): To prepare for their competition the next day, the majority of Olympians spend the night before their event resting as much as possible, refueling, and performing any necessary physical preparations.
Before the 20-kilometer final on Thursday, Aurelien Quinion, a race-walker from France, had an entirely different experience.
As their newborn girl, Charlie, had just joined the world as a new player in the family, at two in the morning Paris time. Quinion was by his wife’s bedside at thus significant moment. Eventually, less than six hours after Charlie’s birth, the French athlete managed to catch something close to thirty minutes of sleep before boarding a cab and making his way to the race.
Aurelien Quinion announced that both mother and daughter were doing well in a statement issued by the French Athletics Federation.
He stated, “Everything went smoothly, and the child has stunning eyes. Her mom is doing great. That is the most important thing. Its absolute ecstasy, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Quinion recorded a personal best time of 1:19:56 to finish ninth in the competition.
Also read: Iga Swiatek Loses In Women’s Tennis Singles Semifinals
He claimed, “For an amateur who is progressively turning into a professional, the outcome was “something strong. These are the best times of my life right now. I could have stated that we can pass away peacefully after this, but I most definitely won’t now that I have a young daughter! She will receive our undivided attention and the best life has to offer.”
In honor of his newborn baby girl, he executed the iconic thumb-sucking stance to celebrate his finish.
The fact that Aurelien Quinion was able to start at the starting line and place in the top 10 of a world-class event, in addition to being by his wife’s bedside, is a monument to the love of an Olympian and a father. He really needed to start adjusting to these kinds of insomniac evenings.
