After winning a silver medal at the 2019 world championships in Doha, American athlete Emma Coburn cemented her status as a medal contender for the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Tokyo Games.
But it wasn’t to be for the former world champion.
Coburn provided a brutally honest self-assessment of her performance at the Tokyo Olympics after she was disqualified from Wednesday’s evening final.
The 30-year-old crossed the finish line 14th, but in a cruel twist would soon discover she had been disqualified for stepping off the track while stumbling over the barrier on the final lap.
Earlier in the week, she placed third in her heat with an impressive time of 9:16.91.
“My Tokyo Olympic race was a total failure. I was terrible,” Coburn tweeted on Thursday.
“Disappointed to not be my best and represent my country and team well. Thank you for all the kind words of support.”
Olympics live blog: Day 15 coverage
Coburn won bronze in the 3000m steeplechase event at the 2016 Rio Games and later won gold in the 2017 world championships in London.
She has also won the US championship in nine of the last 10 years of competition.
“It sucks to suck on the biggest stage,” Coburn said after Wednesday’s final.
“We’re professional athletes. Obviously, everyone has their own experiences. But for me, it’s about results and it’s about everyone in my life. I’ve got my teammates, my husband, my sponsors, my friends, everyone in my life gives everything to me. So the journey is important and we’re going to enjoy the journey. But when you suck, like, that’s not part of this journey.
“I walked on that starting line thinking I was coming home with an Olympic medal.”
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Australia’s Genevieve Gregson also endured a horror 3000m steeplechase final in Tokyo, leaving the stadium with a ruptured achilles on her birthday.
The United States has won 24 athletics medal in Tokyo, but only five have been gold.
In a shock upset earlier this week, the American men’s relay team failed to qualify for the 4 x 100m final.
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