WATCH: British Sprinter Misses Auto-Qualification After Jogging It In To Save Energy

On Friday morning, a British sprinter took his foot off the gas a bit too early during his 200m heat at the European Athletics U18 Championships. Jake Odey-Jordan, a top contender for gold with a leading time of 20.55 seconds, missed an automatic spot in the semi-final after slowing down way too early. The 16-year-old mistakenly eased up with 50 meters left, allowing three competitors to pass him, resulting in a fourth-place finish.

Despite having the fastest season’s best time in his heat by over a second, Odey-Jordan’s miscalculation cost him dearly. He was comfortably ahead but decided to conserve energy for the next round, a common strategy among elite sprinters. However, this time, he slowed down too much and too early, ultimately costing him a place in the semi-finals.

The incident went viral on social media. Many viewers couldn’t understand how such an experienced athlete could make such a critical error. Comments ranged from questioning if he had stopped running entirely to speculating if he was injured, which he wasn’t.

Odey-Jordan took the incident in stride, sharing supportive messages on Instagram. One read, “God said #notyet,” and another, “Things truly happen for a reason. We live and learn. You are still young.”

While this mistake was a significant learning experience, it’s better it happened now rather than at a future major championship. As European Athletics noted, “Lesson learned!”