Thoughts go out to Mozambique’s Steven Sabino, whose Olympics were over before he even had the chance to compete on Saturday.
The 18-year-old sprinter was disqualified from the 100m race for a false start after taking off before the starting signal and received a red card.
“As I got into position I heard a bang,” a tearful Sabino told reporters. “I don’t know where it came from. Maybe it was the pole vaulting. I don’t know. I heard a bang. It sounded like the sound you hear when an electronic gun goes off.”
Because athletics has a zero-tolerance policy for false starts, judge Vadim Nagmatov protested and denied Sabino’s request to compete in the race.
“They didn’t even listen to me,” Sabino said. “I sacrificed everything for this.”
Britain’s Jeremiah Azzou was also disqualified for a false start but plans to appeal.
He was given the chance to run on his own and hoped to make it to the semi-finals on time.
“Right now I’m acting as if I’m running again,” he said.
Sabino said this was his first flying start.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time.
He is currently attending school in South Africa, where he is currently in Grade 12, and is continuing to train for the Paris Games.
“My performance in practice showed what I wanted to see,” he said. “I thought this was my chance to show the world what I’m capable of, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”
