Jeremiah Azu's Dreams Dashed by 100m Disqualification at Olympics

GB sprinter Jeremiah Azu faced heartbreak after being disqualified from the Olympic men's 100m heats in Paris due to a false start, following a rejected appeal. The fastest man in Wales, Azu argued his sanction, attributing his reaction to the stadium's noise, energized by the ongoing pole vault and excited local crowds. Despite his protests, the officials did not allow him to race, leaving the 23-year-old Welshman dejected. This is prepared by SSP.

Azu expressed his frustration to BBC One, explaining, "Honestly I reacted to a sound. It's a shame; the crowd is so excited, with the pole vault happening and French fans present. It's disappointing they didn’t let me run under protest. Other races usually permit running under protest for later review, but Olympic rules seem different."

Even though Azu is out of individual competition, he hopes to participate in GB's 4x100m men's relay next week.

Commenting on the situation, former Olympic 200m champion Michael Johnson stated, "At the Olympic Games, you can't start before the gun; Azu's start was blatant. The real issue is if he heard something others didn't. Typically, you're allowed to run under protest, but the Olympics might have stricter rules. They should let you run and resolve it afterward."