Peter Bol Faces Tough Start in Olympic 800m Heat

It’s been a rough start for Australia’s Peter Bol at the Olympics in Paris, as he finished 7th in his 800m heat on Wednesday. The 30-year-old athlete, who gained fame by finishing fourth in Tokyo, was in the mix for much of the race.

Leading up to the final stretch, Bol seemed to be in a strong position. However, as the race neared its end, it became clear that he wouldn’t make the top three spots needed for automatic qualification. His time of 1:47.50 just wasn’t enough, and he watched as other runners surged past him.

This disappointing result comes after a challenging preparation period for Bol, which was marred by a controversial drug test. Despite this setback, his Olympic journey isn’t over yet. There’s still hope as he gets a second chance to qualify for the semi-finals in the repechage.

Joining him for this crucial race on Thursday will be fellow Aussie Joeseph Deng, who also faced tough competition and finished 6th in an earlier heat. On a brighter note, Australia’s Peyton Craig performed well, finishing third in his heat with a solid time of 1:45.81, securing his spot in the semifinals.

In Bol’s heat, Algeria’s Djamel Sedati took the win, with Great Britain’s Elliot Giles and the United States’ Hobbs Kessler finishing in the second and third positions, respectively, and advancing to the next round.