Rio Olympics 2016: Andy Pozzi misses out on 110m hurdles final while Dina Asher-Smith sneaks into 200m final
ANDY POZZI'S bid to become Great Britain's first Olympic 110 metres hurdles medallist in 28 years was dashed in the semi-finals in Rio.
The 24-year-old, aiming to make up for the heartbreak of limping out of the heats at London 2012 with a torn hamstring and bounce back from three years of injury hell, produced his slowest race of the season at the worst possible time.
Pozzi, who has lowered his personal best three times this year to 13.19 seconds, started well before crashing into several hurdles and crossing the line in 13.67secs.
It saw him finish fifth, his time not enough to qualify as a fastest loser, although, to add insult to injury, he was later disqualified.
"It was just abysmal," a brutally honest Pozzi told the BBC. "No other words to describe it."
Before this year Pozzi had raced just once outdoors following operations on both feet, but his form this season had given hopes he could take Britain's first Olympic sprint hurdles medal since Colin Jackson in Seoul.
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The Olympic Stadium was once again barely a quarter full, but the feeble crowd did manage to raise a cheer for Haiti's Jeffrey Julmis, who dragged himself up after crashing to the track and finished in 25.56s.
Pozzi's team-mate Lawrence Clarke, fourth at London 2012, also failed to make the final, finishing sixth in 13.46.
"It's quite emotional because this is my last Olympics," he said. "In one I came fourth, in London, and a semi-final at another. I can't complain."
Pozzi was later reinstated to his fifth place, with Julmis disqualified, not that it made any difference.
There was better news for 400m hurdles medal hope Eilidh Doyle, who booked her spot in the final as a fastest loser after finishing third in 54.99.
Jack Green went out in the semi-finals of the men's event, but Ireland's Thomas Barr stormed into the final in a new national record of 48.39.
Barr took 0.26 off his personal best as he flew down the home straight to come home first.
Dina Asher-Smith squeezed into the 200m final as the fastest loser after finishing fourth in 22.49.
In a stacked semi-final also featuring world champion Dafne Schippers and newly-crowned Olympic 100m champion Elaine Thompson, the 20-year-old went off hard from lane seven and paid for it in the final stages, tying up as Schippers won in 21.96.
Jodie Williams went out as she finished eighth in her semi-final in 22.99.
In the long jump Lorraine Ugen with 6.65m and Jazmin Sawyers with 6.53m both qualified for the final, but world silver medallist Shara Proctor could only manage a best of 6.36m and went out.