Pozzi rues ‘terrible’ Rio performance - The Redditch Standard

Pozzi rues ‘terrible’ Rio performance

Redditch Editorial 16th Aug, 2016 Updated: 18th Oct, 2016   0

THERE was disappointment for Stratford Athletic Club’s Andrew Pozzi who was unable to make the final of the men’s 110 hurdles at the Rio Olympic Games.

Former Alcester Grammar School pupil Pozzi had survived a nerve-racking heat – in which he hit two hurdles – in the early hours of Tuesday to reach the semi-finals 24 hours later.

However, a time of 13.67secs was only enough to finish fifth in the first of three semis and he was later disqualified anyway, having ran well outside the qualification times for the final.

The 24-year-old told BBC Sport: “Straight from the blocks I started hammering the first couple of hurdles.




“I can’t put my finger on why, I just felt out of sorts.

“It’s terrible viewing and I can only apologise.”


Failing to better his heat time of 13.50secs will come as a big disappointment to Pozzi, who last month clocked a 13.19secs personal best at the Muller Anniversary Games at the London Olympic Stadium.

To put British champion Pozzi’s personal best time into context, Rio silver medallist Orlando Ortega of Spain clocked 13.17secs in the final and France’s reigning European champion Dimitri Bascou recorded 13.24secs to claim bronze.

Pre-event favourite Omar McLeod of Jamaica won gold in a time of 13.05secs.

Pozzi’s fellow Brit Lawrence Clarke, 26, finished sixth in his semi-final in 13.46 and said he would “probably have to get a proper job now”.

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