Chudi Onwuzurike on Monday (today, August 5) left the determination of his qualification status until another day when he failed to qualify directly for the ongoing Olympic Games men’s 200 metres semi-finals.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 21-year-old could only finish fifth from lane 2 of heat 2 in the event’s round 1 at the Stade de France.
He had a time of 20.55 seconds, finishing out of the top three who directly qualified for the semi-finals, but qualifying for the repechage round.
This gives him a chance to still enter the semi-finals from a round that will involve nearly all of those who failed to make it to the semi-finals from the six heats.
Twenty-five of them will take part in this round by midday tomorrow (Tuesday, august 6) with six of them advancing to Wednesday’s semi-finals.
However, no less than eight of the qualifiers for the repechage round returned times better than his during the first round heats.
Speaking after Monday’s race, Onwuzurike said it was another opportunity for him to fulfill a dream.
”I know it’s going to be hard, but it is an opportunity I am grabbing with both hands. I know I can do it, and I will do my best,” he promised.
Earlier in the day, the repechage round was not favourable for Chidi Okezie who finished last in the round’s heat 2 in the men’s 400m.
He ran a time of 45.92 to finish fifth and fail to utilise the second opportunity he got to reach the semi-finals.
