Olivia Burke
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Team GB sprinter Jeremiah Azu has spoken out about his heartbreak after he was disqualified from the men's 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics following a false start.
The 23-year-old star, from Cardiff, had barely put one foot in front of the other when his dreams of bringing a medal home were dashed on Saturday (3 August).
Brits watched in horror as Azu - who is the is the fastest fella in Welsh history after running 100m in less than ten seconds - was given his marching orders.
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In the opening heat of the men's 100m, the athlete appeared to leave his blocks before the starter's pistol had sounded.
The blokes took off before being brought back to the starting line while a baffled-looking Azu waited to hear his fate.
According to the 'Track & Field 101: Rules' on the Olympics website, if a sprinter 'commences his or her starting motion from the set position before the starter's gun is fired, it is deemed a false start'.
This results in immediate disqualification from the race.
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A devastated Azu tried to fight his case after receiving the sanction, however, even commentators noted that there didn't appear to be any grounds for his complaint to be upheld.
He was not allowed to race and was led away from the track by a steward.
Speaking of the decision to take him out of the running, Azu claimed he had been distracted by the noise inside of the stadium as well as cheers from the crowd.
He told the BBC: "Honestly, I reacted to a sound.
"It's a shame, the crowd is so excited, they have got the pole vault going on, the French fans are in here."
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"It's a shame they did not let me run under protest," Azu added. "I am not sure what rules are being used. I was saying I want to run under protest.
"Any other race they allow you to run and then afterwards you review it. It's the Olympics so it is clearly different rules."
Although his initial appeal on the track was ignored, Azu said that he plans to lodge an official one.
"I just want to put in this appeal as quickly as possible so that I can come back out here and get into the semi-final," he said.
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Mozambique sprinter Steven Sabino, 18, suffered a similar fate in the men’s 100m preliminary round this morning.
However, it turns out there is a rule which means that they both could have still competed, despite a false start.
According to guidelines from the World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), the start referee has the power to overturn the decision if there is any doubt.
Athletes can be permitted to run under protest if there is an illegal start 'and there is good reason to suggest that the information is inaccurate, or there is an equipment malfunction'.
However, the rules state: "No protest will be allowed if the SIS is working correctly and a false start has been indicated.
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"If a protest is based on an Athlete’s incorrect exclusion from a race and it is upheld, after the race, the Athlete should be afforded the opportunity to run on his own to record a time in the event and, if applicable, be advanced to subsequent rounds."
Despite Azu's disqualification, Team GB still triumphed on the track as fellow sprinter Louie Hinchliffe, 22, ended up being victorious with a time of 9.98 seconds - beating out reigning world champion and US star Noah Lyles.
After the race, Hinchliffe said: "I had to get my game back from London so it felt great, but the job’s not done. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. I drove out hard, push, stay relaxed and trust my race. I don’t really think much about the time.
"I just try and execute my race. It’s been great so far."
Azu could still bag a win next week if he gets involved in the GB's 4x100m men's relay - so it's not over just yet.