Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand in action during the Womens 100m Semifinals at the Stade de France as part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in Saint-Denis, France, Saturday, August 03, 2024. Photo: AAP/Photosport
An emotional Zoe Hobbs says she is disappointed in her 100m semi-final performance, knowing she had more to give.
The New Zealand record-holder ran 11.13s on Sunday morning (NZ time), coming in sixth, and failing to qualify for the final.
"It was tough. It was bittersweet knowing that I had more in there," she told RNZ.
"Yesterday was faster and felt a lot easier than tonight. I felt free and relaxed yesterday and felt like I had an edge more to give today.
"I just didn't execute a good race. I think I let it go from the get-go. My reaction wasn't great and over the first 10 I was already behind, and I let it slip through my fingers, and that's just the reality of the 100m sometimes.
"You have to put together a perfect race, especially to make an Olympics. I'm really disappointed."
Hobbs would have been the first Kiwi to make a 100m final in a century had she been just a tiny bit quicker.
"Everything felt good [ahead of the race]. I was physically good. Mentally good. I just didn't execute the race I needed to."
Trinidad and Tobago's Leah Bertrand, Czech Republic's Karolina Manasova, New Zealand's Zoe Hobbs, Britain's Daryll Neita, Canada's Audrey Leduc, Jamaica's Tia Clayton, US' Twanisha Terry, Germany's Gina Lueckenkemper and Belgium's Delphine Nkansa take the start in the women's 100m semi-final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on 3 August 3, 2024. Photo: ANTONIN THUILLIER / AFP
It was not immediately apparent she had fallen short, Hobbs said.
"I didn't know where I'd placed. Everything was a bit of a blur. It was when the time came up I found out where I was. It was just instant disappointment."
In her heat, she ran 11.08s.
"And seeing the time as well, that it was slower than yesterday. I think if it was a good time, I could have accepted not making the final… It's just disappointing."
It was not a good morning for Kiwi athletes, with shot putters Jacko Gill and Tom Walsh also struggling in the wet conditions. Walsh failed to make a legal throw, while Gill had to settle for seventh.
