Kenya’s Nancy Jepngetich suffered a heartbreaking setback after being disqualified from the women’s 800m despite recording the fastest time in the heats.
Jepngetich had looked set to progress comfortably after producing the quickest performance of the opening round. However, race officials later disqualified her for a lane infringement, ruling that she had violated competition rules during the race.
Because of the decision, the Kenyan will not advance to the next round. The result cuts short a campaign that had looked promising. Her disqualification opens the door for other athletes to progress as officials strictly enforce World Athletics competition regulations.
The incident marks a bitter disappointment for Jepngetich. Her pace had made her a standout in the heats, until the infringement overturned her result.
