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A look at five big female losers from the just-concluded Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Paris 2024 Olympics were filled with awe-inspiring performances, as athletes from around the world competed to etch their names into history.
But while some soared to new heights, others faced unexpected challenges, leaving the Games with more disappointment than triumph. Among them were seasoned champions and rising stars, all of whom entered Paris with high hopes but left with shattered dreams.
Here, we take a closer look at five female athletes whose Olympic journeys took a turn for the worse, despite their remarkable talent and determination.
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14:39 - 12.08.2024
Emmanuel Wanyonyi & Letsile Tebogo among the seven top male performers at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Seven top male athletes from the just-concluded Paris 2024 Olympics
1. Gudaf Tsegay
Ethiopian runner Gudaf Tsegay had a tournament to forget as she missed out on the podium in all three of her events. Her Olympics were marred by controversy, particularly in the 5,000 meters, where she had an altercation with Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon.
Tsegay tried to block Kipyegon’s path, resulting in the Kenyan raising her hand to fend off the obstruction.
Though Kipyegon was initially disqualified, Team Kenya successfully appealed, reinstating her silver medal.
Tsegay finished ninth in the race and failed to recover her form in the subsequent 10,000 meters and 1,500 meters, finishing sixth and last, respectively. Her tactics backfired, leaving her without a medal and a tarnished reputation.
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13:19 - 12.08.2024
'I’m in the league of all-time greats' - Noah Lyles compares himself to LeBron James & Michael Jackson
Noah Lyles has defended his chest-thumping entrances at the Olympics that polarised opinion and has also compared himself to the likes of Lebron James and Michael Jackson.
2.Rhasidat Adekele
Irish sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke had high hopes in her Olympic debut, but she narrowly missed out on a medal in the 400 meters, finishing fourth.
Adeleke was in third place coming out of the final bend but was overtaken by Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek in the last moments, missing the bronze by just 0.3 seconds.
Despite setting impressive times in the heats and semifinals, Adeleke’s fourth-place finish left her just short of becoming Ireland's first Olympic track and field medalist since 2012.
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10:29 - 12.08.2024
'A jog in the park for him!'-Olympic champion Quincy Hall on why he is scared of Noah Lyles adding 400m to his repertoire
Hall, the new Olympic 400m champion, has explained why he is wary of the potential threat posed by Noah Lyles who is haboring ambitions of competing in the event.
3.Mary Moraa
Kenya’s Mary Moraa, a world champion in the 800 meters, had to settle for bronze in a highly competitive final.
Moraa clocked 1:57.42 but was edged out of gold by Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma. While Moraa’s podium finish was commendable, it prolonged Kenya’s wait for another Olympic gold in the 800 meters, a title last won by Pamela Jelimo in 2008.
Moraa herself admitted the race was tough, as she struggled with a muscle pull from the semifinals, making her bronze a bittersweet achievement.
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15:20 - 12.08.2024
Sharon Lokedi on how Hellen Obiri's unfortunate falls forced her to sacrifice her Olympic ambitions
Sharon Lokedi has admitted Obiri's unfortunate falls forced her into changing her tactics in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics.
4. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn
Defending Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico entered the Paris 2024 Olympics as a favorite in the 100m hurdles.
She looked strong in the semifinals, clocking a season-best 12.35 seconds, but the final told a different story.
A slight movement during the set position seemed to cost her the race, as she hesitated out of the blocks and never fully recovered.
Camacho-Quinn finished outside the medals, with American Masai Russell taking gold in a tight photo finish. Camacho-Quinn’s frustration was palpable as she reflected on the costly error that derailed her title defense.
5. Peres Jepchirchir
Kenyan marathoner Peres Jepchirchir had a disappointing run in Paris, finishing 15th and relinquishing her Olympic title from Tokyo 2020.
Jepchirchir was part of the lead pack for much of the race but burned too much energy trying to catch up with the pace-setters.
The effort cost her dearly as the race approached the hilly sectors, and she eventually faded, clocking 2:26:5—far off her personal best and women’s only record of 2:16:16 set in London.
Hellen Obiri managed to salvage a bronze for Kenya, but Jepchirchir’s performance was a stark contrast to her previous triumphs
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