Caribbean men struggle as big guns advance in men's 800m in Paris

By August 07, 2024

The morning session of Day 7 at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw Caribbean athletes facing a challenging start in the men's 800m preliminary round. Handel Roban, Dennick Luke, and Navasky Anderson will need to deliver improved performances in the repechage if they hope to advance to the semi-final round.

 Roban of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who aims to emulate his compatriot Shafiqua Maloney's impressive fourth-place finish in the women's 800m final, ran 1:46.00 in Heat One. Despite his strong effort, Roban finished fourth, narrowly missing out on an automatic qualification spot.

Dominica's Luke struggled in Heat 4, finishing eighth with a time of 1:47.50. Luke will need to regroup and find another gear if he is to compete at the highest level.

Anderson of Jamaica also had a difficult race in Heat Five. He finished fifth with a time of 1:46.82. His performance was below expectations, and he will need to bounce back quickly to remain in contention.

Meanwhile, medal contenders Gabriel Tual, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and Djamel Sedjati showed their class by easily advancing to the semi-finals. Frenchman Tual, buoyed by the support of the home crowd, won Heat 2 with a time of 1:45.13, securing his place in the next round.

Kenya’s Wanyonyi, a favorite for the gold, demonstrated his prowess by winning Heat 3 in an impressive 1:44.64. His performance solidified his status as a top contender.

Algeria’s Sedjati cruised through Heat 4, winning with a time of 1:45.84, ensuring his spot in the semi-finals.

Leighton Levy

Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.

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