'This sprint era is brutal'- Africa's fastest woman reveals what cost her a win in Silesia

'This sprint era is brutal'- Africa's fastest woman reveals what cost her a win in Silesia

Abigael Wafula 07:32 - 26.08.2024

The three-time African champion finished second behind Jamaican youngster Tia Clayton and has opened up about what cost her a win at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia.

Africa’s fastest woman Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith has explained what cost her a win at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia.

Ta Lou-Smith was forced to settle for second in the tight race with Jamaican youngster Tia Clayton taking the win in the race. Clayton and Ta Lou-Smith clocked the same time, 10.83 seconds, but the Jamaican was ahead in milliseconds.

The Ivorian sprinter noted that the sprint era has greatly evolved and athletes need to put in extra effort to impress on the global stage. She encouraged upcoming sprinters not to give up on their dreams.

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“For me, this Sprint era is brutal. It is important not only for me but for all African people, all young people who do not believe in themselves to prove that they can achieve it. It just shows the magic that wherever you are, you can dream big and do what you want to do,” she said in a post-race interview.

Ta Lou-Smith added that after the Olympic Games, she was disappointed in herself and could not get herself to believe that she had exited the stage empty-handed after she finished eighth in the women’s 100m due to a slight injury setback.

She withdrew from the 200m and the Ivorian 4x100m relay team that she was competing in was disqualified. However, her husband and overall management came in handy for her as they motivated her, helping her in her smooth bounce back.

“To me, it feels good to get this 10.83. After the Olympics, I felt very disappointed. I was mentally down, but I have a good team, good husband, family and friends who support me and help me to stay grounded,” Ta Lou-Smith said.

“So I am very glad for what I did today and we are going to move forward from this. We will see what I can do at the next competitions. This is what we have in the sprints - you achieve the same result but you finish second. But we just need to continue the work to finish not with the same time, but with the best time,” she added.

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