Lahja's narrow miss a tough pill to swallow

Paris 2024
Three Namibian athletes are still in competition during these Games.
Tielman Van Lill
  • 2 Months Ago 04 September 2024
Lahja Ishitile’s quest for another medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games still appeared on course when she came second with 12.19 seconds in her 100 metres T11 semi-final on Monday evening.

It soon emerged however that she would not be among the four qualifiers for the 100m T11 final – missing out by 0.006 seconds.

Instead, Linda Patricia Perez Lopez from Venezuela advanced to the final despite placing third with 12.19 seconds in her semi-final.

Only four visually impaired women sprinters, with their guide runners, qualified for the 100m T11 final that was scheduled for last night.

The 27-year-old Ishitile won the gold medal in the 400 metres on Saturday.

Sport Wrap sent a query to the International Paralympic Committee, receiving the following reply: “The results are correct. You can find here (https://q.my.na/7RDP) the competition results that inform that the First athlete in each semi-final and the next 2 fastest athletes advance to the final.

“Venezuela’s Linda Patricia Perez Lopez finished with the second-fastest time among the athletes that did not win their semi-final. Namibia’s Lahja Ishitile had the third-best time among the athletes that did not win their semi-final and therefore did not advance to the final.

“Since both athletes clocked 12.19 it was necessary to look at the milliseconds to find who was the fastest. Lopez’s result was 12.181. Lahja Ishitile’s result was 12.187.”

Ishitile’s remaining competition at these Games is in the 200 metres, in which the T11 women’s heats are scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) at 13:24, before the final late Saturday night (22:06).

Ishitile will resume her proven partnership with guide Sem Shimanda in the 200.



Disqualification

In the men’s sprints, Namibia’s Petrus Karuli was yesterday unfortunately disqualified in his 400 metres T37 qualifying heat for a lane infringement (rule 18.2c). This brought his Games participation to a close, after his earlier elimination in the heats of the 100 metres (fifth in 12.74).

• Today at 10:12, Chris Kinda will run in the 100 metres T11 qualifying heats against strong opposition, accompanied by his guide Riwaldo Goagoseb. The men’s 100 metres T11 semi-finals is at 20:58 tonight.

Kinda, the 25-year-old Swakopmund athlete with a personal best of 11.42, has a fastest time of 11.54 so far this year.

• T11 sprinter Ananias Shikongo, with guide Even Tjiuiju, will launch his onslaught on the 100 metres today, starting in heat 5 at 10:44.

Shikongo has a personal best of 11.11 and a season’s best of 11.55. The 38-year-old Namibian veteran has his work cut out against the likes of Frenchman Adolphe Timothee, who has already recorded 11.05 this season.