Road to Paris 2024: Marathon and Shooting Olympic qualification frenzy

Athletics 22 Apr 24

It was an Olympic qualification frenzy this week as marathon runners and rifle shooters booked Team GB yet more spots at Paris 2024.

Cairess and Mahamad shine at marathon

Emile Cairess clocked the second-fastest ever marathon by a Briton at the 2024 London Marathon.

The 26-year-old battled the windy streets of the capital to take third in a personal best time of 2:06:46, the first time a Brit has finished on the podium since Mo Farah in 2018.

Cairess initially set off with Farah's British record of 2:05.11 in sight but was thwarted by the gusty conditions and unable to clock a new record time in the capital.

However, the Bradfordian kept going on tired legs and stormed from eighth to third in the final miles to cross the line under the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification time.

Just seconds down the road, Britain's Mahamed Mahamed, also made a late charge to come fourth in 2:07:05 and book his place for Paris.

With Olympic selection conversations ongoing, the two Brits will now wait with baited breath to see if they will be joining Charlotte Purdue, Calli Hauger-Thackery and Phil Sesemann in Paris.

Mahamed's time placed him third overall in the British marathon standings, with just Farah and Cairess having run quicker.

What they said:

"It was windy but I stuck to my race plan and managed to move up into third place which I'm really proud of," said Cairess.

"It was a bit of a risk coming here but I had prepared really well and needed to do another marathon before the Olympics so it was a risk that paid off.

"I had the fitness today for the British record but today it didn't happen.

"I've had a really stressful couple of months of preparation as my cousin Olivier was in a car crash. This was for him today."

What's next:

Team GB will announce their Paris 2024 athletics team, including any additional marathon runners in due course.

Bargeron makes shooting history

Mike Bargeron became the first British man to qualify Team GB a rifle shooting quota place since London 2012 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fighting for one of two possible quota spots in the final of the Olympic Qualifying event, the 30-year-old was battling it out with Switzerland's Jan Lochbihler for the pivotal place.

Bargeron was narrowly behind following the Kneeling and Prone phase but stormed from behind in the Standing to overtake Lochbihler and seal the spot for Team GB.

Bargeron had already roared to personal success by qualifying for the final with a new personal best and British Record of 591.

What they said:

"It's pure elation, relief. I came to this competition not 100 per cent sure in all of my positions," he said.

"So, I thought this would be a warm-up for the European Championships which is the last event to qualify in the three positions.

"But I had a really good day in qualification with a new personal best and British Record and then tried to do my best in the final."

What's next:

The European Shooting Championships will take place in Osijek, Croatia between the 25 May and 6 June.

The competition will be one of the final chances for athletes to secure Olympic quota.

Roberts back on the wall

Sport climber Toby Roberts opened his 2024 season in style with gold at the Wujiang World Cup.

Following an incredible 2023 that saw him become the first British male sport climber to qualify for an Olympic Games, Roberts was back on the wall in his favoured lead event just days after finishing fourth at the Boulder World Cup in Keqiao.

And he started with a bang, clinching Lead World Cup gold for just the second time in his career and with it, became only the second British male to do so after Simon Nadin in 1990.

After topping the wall in qualification, hold 36+ was enough to secure the victory for the 19-year-old, edging out Japan's Homma Taisei.

What they said:

"Preparation for Paris is going well and I’m using this competition to see how I am doing after a hard winters training.

"I'm just enjoying competing on the comp circuit, things are going well.

What's next:

The first of the sport climbing Olympic Qualifier Series takes place in Shanghai from 15-19 May.

Bryson takes World Cup gold

Kerenza Bryson led from the front to take her second-ever World Cup victory in Turkey.

The modern pentathlete took the gold by a staggering 26 seconds to clinch her third World Pentathlon medal in a row, having clinched bronze in the first World Cup of the year in Cairo and bronze at the 2023 World Championships.

Bryson's World Championship performance bagged Team GB a quota spot for Paris 2024 and the in-form athlete has only continued to solidify her presence on the world stage since then.

A qualified doctor and army reserve, Bryson was down to start in first for the laser run, a position she doesn't usually find herself in and experienced some opening nerves, taking 20 seconds to land her first five shots.

But the Brit settled down from there to take the victory in emphatic fashion.

What they said:

"I am on a run at the moment and I feel like it’s just positive vibes all round. I’m really happy with how my prep is going this season.

"I've just got to stay confident in myself and trust in the process and my coaches and the programme.

"If I can keep going and trusting in myself it will keep going in the right direction for the Games."

What's next:

Catch the next Modern Pentathlon World Cup in Budapest, Hungary from 23 April. Athletes then head to Bulgaria on 8 May.

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