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When Alastair Chalmers steps out onto the track at the Stade de France he might be hoping for slightly less drama than his path to qualifying.
But then again, this is Alastair Chalmers.
Always a showman, always willing to back up his words with action, Chalmers' Olympic journey was one of last-minute jeopardy.
This will be the biggest stage he has performed on, but the 24-year-old has a track record of delivering when it matters.
Who can forget the Commonwealth Games bronze medal in Manchester 2022, flying down the home straight to grab that podium spot, or the desire to compete in his home Island Games last year, signing autographs late into the cooling evening after securing the win.
Even then he was talking about the Olympics, how difficult the qualifying standard was but how he was sure he would make it.
Chalmers has won five consecutive British 400m hurdles titles - and he left it to that race to secure his spot this year.
Early in June in the semi-finals of the European Athletics Championships, Chlamers missed the Olympic standard by just 0.06 seconds.
More races went by with hints that he could get below the mark of 48.70s, but they were hampered by accidental collisions and bad weather.
Then came the national champs at the end of June - his final chance.
Initially the race was called back and Chalmers disqualified for a false start.
He was allowed to run under protest, arguing that noise in the stadium was at fault.
Chalmers stormed around the damp Manchester track in 48.54s for the win, not only breaking the standard but also Ed Moses' championship record of 48.58s from 1979.
He dived over the finish line in an echo of the time he first went sub-50 in the summer of 2020 at Footes Lane.
An hour and a half later he was reinstated and his ticket for Paris booked.
"This is the best day of my life, but it's been the most stressful couple of hours of my life as well," said Chalmers.
"To run 48.5 in the rain in Manchester is unbelievable and legendary. I am just so proud of myself and absolutely ecstatic."
Chalmer's last race before Paris was in the London Diamond League, another dream come true to be running in front of a sold out London Stadium that was host to the 2012 Games.
Illness hampered that performance, nearly a second outside his best, but he pledged to be back "fully fit and ready for Paris".
In becoming an Olympian, he is following in the footsteps of his brother Cameron who represented Great Britain in the 4x400m in Tokyo.
The opening round of the Olympic men's 400m hurdles is on Monday 5 August.
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