After a long wait to watch an athlete of team Liberia perform at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Liberians home and abroad on Saturday had the chance to watch two of their representatives hit the track at the Olympic Stadium.
Lone female representative Ebony Morrison was the first hit the big stage in the women’s 100m hurdles, competing against tough athletes, including world record holder Kendra Harrison of the United States.
Ebony was unable to meet the top four finishes automatic qualification position after finishing sixth in Heat 2.
She clocked a time of 13.00 seconds over Ireland’s Sara Lavin who finished seventh in 13.16secs.
However, Ebony advanced to the semifinals as one of the next four fastest along with Japan’s Asuka Terada(12.95), Poland’s KlaudiaSiciarz (12.98), and Haiti’s Mulern Jean who finished fifth in Heat 2 in 12.99 secs.
The 26-year-old Liberian hurdler will now run her first semifinals at the Olympic on Sunday, August 1, in semi-final 3.
Elsewhere in the men’s 100m, national record holder Emmanuel Matadi failed to qualify for the semi-finals after finishing fifth in Heat 6.
Matadi, who is making his second run at the Olympics, finished in a time of 10.25 seconds. The heat was won my African 100m record holder AkaniSimbine of South Africa (10.8), followed by Cote d’Ivorie’sArthur Cisse (10.15) and Brazil’s Paulo Andre Camilo, all of whomautomatically qualified for the semi-finals.
Matadi, 30, will now focus his attention to the Men’s 200m event slated for Tuesday, August 3. He will be joined by his compatriot Joseph Fahanbulleh, who will be making first run at the Olympics.
Photo Credit : Reuters Kai Pfaffenbach
