Featured image by Madeah Addy (Emmanuel Matadi in round one, lane four of the Paris2024 men’s 100m race.)
Emmanuel Matadi advances to the Paris2024 men’s 100m semifinals, after breezing through round one with a time of 10.08.
The Team Liberia veteran ran in heat 7, lane 4 along with US runner Kenneth Bednarek (9.97), fellow African sprinter Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon (9.98) and Canadian Andre de Grasse (10.07), who all advanced in the fastest heat of the day.
In a post-race interview with Go Team Liberia, Matadi shared his thoughts about advancing to the semifinals.
“I feel good,” Matadi said. “I mean it felt easy.”
He gave a relaxed performance on the track, in order to preserve his energy for the intense semifinals ahead of him.
Join the GTL newsletter for exclusives and updates on your favorite Liberian athletes!
Matadi’s Olympic journey
Matadi started his Olympic journey at the Rio2016 Games and competed in the unconventional Tokyo2020 Games held in 2021, during the pandemic. This is his third Olympic Game and first time advancing to an Olympic semifinal.
“I think there’s maturity,” Matadi said, when asked about the difference between this Games and others. “Understanding the race a little bit better, understanding what I need to do and when I need to do it, and I’m in more of a calmness right now.”
This season, Matadi’s maturity as a sprinter has been on full display. He set a new national record and personal best in the men’s 100m, running a 9.91 just weeks before the Paris Games began. Throughout the season, “Liberia’s fastest man” has maintained a well-tempered and relaxed approach to the track, which has paid off.
View this post on Instagram
“Matadi did what he had to do, which was to make it to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m,” Liberia’s head Olympic Track Team coach, Sayon Cooper told GTL. “Tomorrow, he has an opportunity to put a great race together and make the finals.’
What’s next
Matadi will compete in semifinal group 2, lane 2 on Sunday 4, August. The semifinals are scheduled to begin at 8:14 p.m. local time.
“Sub 10 will get him in the finals,” Cooper said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he does when he puts it all together.”
Listen to Matadi’s post-race interview:
Follow Go Team Liberia for the latest updates and results and subscribe to the GTL newsletter for exclusive updates directly to your inbox.