With a lead of more than ten meters, British sprinter Jake Odey-Jordan not only missed out on victory, but also on qualifying for the European Championship final. What was he thinking?
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- Jake Odey-Jordan missed out on qualifying in the 200-meter race at the U18 European Championships due to a premature reduction in speed.
- Despite a clear lead, he only ended up in fourth place.
- Odey-Jordan was composed after the race and reflected on his experience on Instagram.
At the U18 European Championships in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, British 200-meter sprinter Jake Odey-Jordan experienced a debacle on Friday. The teenager, who looked as if he would win the fourth preliminary heat with ease, gave away his lead for no reason at all and ultimately finished in fourth place
At one point, Odey-Jordan had a lead of around ten meters, but then reduced his pace far too early, allowing several competitors to overtake him in the final meters.
Pioneering experience
Despite his elimination, Odey-Jordan was composed after the race. "It's all right. I mean, it's my fault, so I can only be sad about myself," he said after the race. "For sure I could have run under 21 seconds. But it's all good. It's my first time at this competition. I just wanted to test my legs, nothing hurts or anything."
He later shared two messages on Instagram that he had apparently received from others. One read: "Things happen for a reason. We live and learn. You're still young." The second simply included the hashtag "#notyet".
