Canadian sprinter Michael Roth saw his hopes dashed at the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Outdoor Championships in San Antonio, Texas. Despite clocking a personal best of 45.78 seconds in the 400m, Roth’s victory celebration cost him the race.
With an unrivaled lead entering the final stretch of the one-lap race, Roth opted for a moment of showmanship before crossing the finish line. Instead of maintaining his stride, he glanced back at his opponent and made a celebratory hand gesture, a move that ultimately led to his disqualification for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Michael Roth (UTSA) 🇨🇦 was disqualified after he ran a PB of 45.78s to win the AAC men's 400m title for unsportmanlike behaviour.
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) May 13, 2024
The unsportmanlike behaviour:👀 pic.twitter.com/t4zL2k65Ll
Roth seemed not to be too bothered by the disqualification based on his social media post following the race.
“Soft disqualification, but it’s alright,” he shared on his Instagram story. “I still have work to do.”
Hailing from St. Thomas, Ontario, the 22-year-old athlete had recently showcased his talent on the international stage, representing Team Canada in the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.
Had it not been for the disqualification, Roth’s impressive time would have ranked as the second-fastest among Canadian athletes this year, trailing only Christopher Morales Williams’ national record of 44.05 seconds set at the SEC Championships.
Unfortunately, the disqualification marked the end of Roth’s NCAA season, as the University of Texas-San Antonio men’s 4x400m relay team, which Roth was then left off of as a result of his disqualification, also failed to advance to regionals.
