Team GB star disqualified from event before it even started at 2024 Paris Olympics
Team GB sprinter Jeremiah Azu has been disqualified from the 100m at the Paris Olympics before the event had even started.
Azu was judged to have left his starting blocks in the heat 0.073 before the starting gun fired, resulting in a false start.
The 23-year-old comes into the games in top form having run a 9.97 earlier this year making him the first Welshman to ever run a sub 10 second 100m.
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Following his disqualification Azu appeared to desperately attempt to plead his case, but the Brit was unable to start the race.
Azu spoke to BBC Sport following the heartbreaking incident.
"Honestly, I reacted to a sound. It's a shame, the crowd is so excited. The pole vault is going on and the French fans are in here," he explained.
"It's a shame they didn't let me run under protest, I'm not sure what rule is being used.
"But they said I've got to go back and put an appeal in, so I'm going to go through the process and see what happens.
"I was saying I wanted to run under protest. Any other race they allow you to run and then after you review it, but I don't know, it's the Olympics so it's clearly different rules.
"So I'm just going to get back, try and get this protest done as quick as possible so hopefully I can get back out here and get into the semi-final."
Azu has has tough year already with injury to forcing him to withdraw from both the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March and the European Athletics Championships in May.
Speaking ahead of the Paris games, he said: "It's my first senior global championships individually so I'm looking forward to it.
"Hopefully I can come out with lifetime memories and something tangible as well."
Tom Jenkins