Devastating setback for Australian runner only days before Commonwealth Games
Devastating setback for Australian runner only days before Commonwealth Games: Liz Clay, an Australian runner, was forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games after fracturing her foot on Saturday during the 100-meter hurdles semifinals at the world championships.
In her opening-round heat in Eugene, Australia’s No. 1 hurdler crashed badly onto the seventh hurdle and fell to the track. Medical personnel had to carry her out of Hayward Field.
The 27-year-left old’s foot was fractured in two places, according to an X-ray taken on Sunday, which means she will be out of commission for a few months.
It is a devastating loss for Clay, who ranks second all-time in the 100-meter hurdles for Australia, only behind the legendary Sally Pearson.
Only five other Commonwealth 100-meter hurdles, including Nigerian Tobi Amusan, have ran quicker than the Queenslander in 2022.
In the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics last year, Clay recorded her personal best of 12.71 and almost missed qualifying for the final by four hundredths of a second.
She would have had a good chance of winning a medal in the Birmingham Games, which begin on Thursday.
In the women’s hurdles, Nia Ali, the defending world champion, and fellow American superstar Alaysha Johnson also collapsed during a hectic set of heats.
Ali, who took home the gold at the most recent global championships in 2019, was in the lead of her heat when she tripped over the last hurdle, preventing her from moving on to the semifinals.
She then stumbled into the last obstacle and collapsed on the ground in pain.
“I had my speed, but it just happened,” said Ali.
“It happened to me for the first time today. The fact that it occurred here is quite regrettable.
“Normally, I am able to overcome any setbacks or difficulties. Although I had hoped to, the mishap was simply too severe.
Although Michelle Jenneke and Celeste Mucci both advanced to the semifinals, it wasn’t all terrible news for Australia.
With a time of 12.84 seconds in a competition that included Kendra Harrison, the current world record holder for the United States, Jenneke stood out.
I am overjoyed about it, Jenneke told AAP.
“My main intention coming into these competitions was to set a personal best.
“Today, I was only 0.02 off my personal best, and I believe that my prior record was set when there was a 1.2 m tailwind instead of the little headwind present today.
There is still time since, in my opinion, I didn’t execute the finish of my race very effectively.
Riley Day, a sprinter, has also decided to skip the Commonwealth Games after spending much of the year dealing with a knee issue.
The 22-year-old hasn’t competed since March, when the Tokyo Olympics propelled him to international fame.
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