'That's awful': Athletics fans gutted over 'terrible' Olympics moment
British runner Jessie Knight has suffered every hurdler's worst nightmare at the Tokyo Olympics.
After five years of hard work and training to get to the Olympic Games, the 27-year-old fell at the very first hurdle in the 400m event on Saturday.
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Knight took off out of the blocks in a promising start.
However she suffered an absolute disaster and fell face-first straight into the first hurdle.
The British runner looked absolutely shattered as she made her way off the track, covering her face in distress.
"She will be shattered with that," Tamsyn Manou said in commentary for Channel 7.
"She would have worked so hard to get to the Olympics.
"I don't know whether she had a problem with her spikes, it looked like she slipped before she took off."
Fans were left absolutely gutted for Knight on social media.
Looked painful, hope she is OK. So unfortunate.
— Scott (@ScottONeill2) July 31, 2021
Back to back crushing moments in the 400 M hurdles. First Jessie Knight of Great Britain went down before the first hurdle. Then Ronda Whyte of Jamaica false starts. Olympic dream over before it starts. That’s heartbreaking #Tokyo2020
— Kyle Jordan (@KyleWTOC) July 31, 2021
Ahhhh noooooo @Jessie_Knight absolutely gutted for you. Hope theres no injury
— Matt Tooze (@MattTooze) July 31, 2021
OMG. I feel terrible for Jessie Knight. Imagine training for hurdles your entire life, get to the Olympics then not even attempting to jump on the first hurdle 😳😳 #TokyoOlympics
— Ryan Salinger (@Ryan_Salinger) July 31, 2021
Oh, Jessie Knight. That was heartbreaking. #Tokyo2020
— Anna Webb (@therealannawebb) July 31, 2021
I really feel awful for Jessie Knight #Olympics
— Brendan (@realbrendanmb) July 31, 2021
poor jessie knight that's just awful....poor girl
— The Black Unicorn (@sitonmyfaccce) July 31, 2021
McLaughlin and Muhammad cruises in 400m hurdles heats
World record holder Sydney McLaughlin of the United States strolled through an eventful heat as her closest competitors also advanced to keep alive hopes of a big showdown.
After pushing fellow American Dalilah Muhammad to a world record at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, McLaughlin arrived in Tokyo after a world record run of 51.90 at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene last month.
McLaughlin did all the hard work at the start and opened up a big gap in the final stretch with her fellow competitors and finished in a time of 54.65 to go through to Monday's semi-finals.
Reigning Olympic champion Muhammad contracted Covid-19 earlier this year, but showed she has recovered sufficiently with a time of 52.42 at the US trials.
She qualified with a time of 53.97, the best across the five heats on the second day of athletics at the Olympic Stadium.
Dutchwoman Femke Bol has been undefeated in the event in the 2021 Diamond League season and has reduced her personal best to 52.37, ranking fourth on the all-time list in 400m hurdles.
Bol was second fastest of the morning with 54.43.
Jamaican's Ronda Whyte and Leah Nugent were disqualified for infringements, while Trinidad and Tobago's Sparkle Ann McKnight was withdrawn before the race after testing positive for Covid-19.
with agencies
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