Solomon Islands select marathon runner for 100m sprint

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Olympic administrators in Solomon Islands have come under fire after selecting a marathon runner to run as a wildcard in the Paris Olympics Women’s 100-metre sprint event.

Transcript

00:00Questions are being raised in Solomon Islands after the country handed its spot in the Paris

00:07Olympics 100-metre race to marathon runner Sharon Firisua, who has never competed in

00:13the event.

00:14A now three-time Olympian, Firisua competed in the marathon at the Tokyo Games in 2021,

00:21finishing 72nd, and hoped to finish her decade-long career in the marathon next week in Paris.

00:28But she missed qualification.

00:30Smaller countries like Solomon Islands are offered wild cards into certain events, known

00:35as universality places.

00:38And the ABC understands administrators offered Firisua its spot in the 100 metres without

00:43consulting athletics organisations.

00:46The decision has come under fire in Solomon Islands, with the country's champion sprinter

00:51vowing never to compete again.

00:53Both the Solomon Islands Olympic Committee and Sharon Firisua did not respond to requests

01:00for comment.

Category

Transcript

Recommended