‘Amusan can still run 100m hurdles final’

World record holder Tobi Amusan still has a slim chance of running in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but that depends on any of the eight finalists electing not to run the race due to injury or any other reason, Saturday PUNCH reports.

Amusan narrowly missed out on a spot in the final after finishing third in the first semi-final with a time of 12:55s. She lost the chance to automatically qualify for the race in the process, and her hopes of qualifying as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers were dashed after France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela produced 12:52s to nick the last spot.

Although Samba-Mayela was spotted to have stepped outside of her lane during the race, spurring Nigerians to call for her disqualification, the rule only applies in races with curves such as the 200m and relays.

“They don’t disqualify like that on straight races; it’s only on a curve. As long as there is no infringement, like impeding the other athletes in any way, she will be disqualified, but if she doesn’t, she won’t be disqualified,” Athens 2004 Olympic Games bronze medallist, Deji Aliu, told our correspondent.

Athletics coach and statistician, Lekan Soetan, also said, “In a race that is not bent, you are only running extra distance when you step out of your lane. So, disqualification applies if she impeded another athlete. I’m sure the World Athletics would have removed her if that was the case.”

Aliu and Soetan further explained that Amusan could get a lifeline if any of the finalists withdraw before Saturday’s final.

“That’s a new rule. If someone pulls out before the final, there is a possibility that Tobi can come in,” Aliu also noted.

“If eight finalists are warming up, if someone pulls out, probably injured, they can call in someone in the waiting. So, Tobi is the waiting athlete in case there is an injury,” Soetan said.

“So, all hope cannot be lost until there is a start list or until all of them come out to run, or probably 30 minutes before the race. But I don’t think anyone will want to run the final.

But sometimes when you are warming up for the hurdles, you attack the hurdles, and you know you are out. That miracle can happen.”

The 27-year-old Amusan closed Team Nigeria’s participation in athletics on a sad note, just after the men’s 4x400m relay team was also disqualified for running on the lines.

The quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amene, and Chidi Okezie had finished second in the heat with a season’s best of 2:59:81.