Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, was unable to advance to the final of the event on Friday.
Competing in the first heat of the semi-finals, Amusan who had previously dazzled spectators with her sterling performance at the Olympics, finished in 3rd place with a time of 12.55 seconds.
This however, puts her in a precarious position, as she now relies on the possibility of advancing to the final as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers.
Amusan’s failure to qualify for the final is a significant blow not just for her, but also for Team Nigeria, which had high hopes for her in the track and field events.
The hurdles event, a showcase of speed and agility, had been one of the key areas of focus for the Nigerian team, and Amusan’s performance was seen as important in their overall medal prospects.
Meanwhile, in a statement following her sudden exit, Amusan expressed her disappointment over her inability to reach the final stage of the competition.
She said, “It’s not the result I was hoping for,” she said. “I gave it my all, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. I will take this as a learning experience and work even harder to come back stronger.”