Featured image by Madeah Addy (Emmanuel Matadi competing in Paris2024 men’s 100m semifinal.)

Emmanuel Matadi represented Liberia in the semifinal of the Paris2024 men’s 100m race on 4, August, after breezing through round one with a 10.08 finish. Unfortunately, the national record-holder did not advance to the Olympic finals. He finished eighth in his heat and 26th overall, running 10.18.

Matadi came into these Olympic Games with the 10th fastest time of the season, 9.91. In order to make it to the finals he needed to run his personal best or better. After coming out of the blocks with a great reaction time, the sprinter eased up and fell behind quickly.

“It went how it went,” Matadi told Go Team Liberia. “Before the race yesterday, we had a little issue with my back, but you know it comes with it, so no excuses, but I think I wasn’t able to recover from that in enough time.”

Paris2024 men’s 100m semifinal results

Coming in as one of the top-ranking athletes and missing the finals isn’t an abnormal occurrence. Both Matadi and second-ranked men’s 100m runner Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, missed out on the finals. Four runners from Matadi’s heat moved on to compete for Olympic gold: South Africa’s Akani Simbine(9.87), Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo(9.91), Italy’s Marcell Jacobs(9.92), and USA’s Kenneth Bednarek(9.93).

Oblique Seville(9.81) from Jamaica and Noah Lyles(9.83) from the US, advanced from heat one. While Kishane Thompson(9.8) of Jamaica and Fred Kerley(9.84) of the US  advanced to the finals from heat three.

Ultimately Lyles won the Olympic gold in a photo finish and ran a new personal best 9.79. Thompson took silver, falling behind Lyles by .005 seconds. Kerley won bronze with a season best 9.81.

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What’s Next

Matadi shared that this is his third and final Olympic Game. He’s scheduled to run in round one of the men’s 4x100m relays on  Thursday 8, August, alongside his teammates Joseph Fahnbulleh, Jabez Reeves, and John Sherman, with Akeem Sirleaf as an alternate.

“This is for sure my last Olympics,” Matadi said. “I’m 33, right now, so pushing it all the way up is just not feasible for me.”

Liberia has three more events left to compete in: men’s 200m, women’s 100mH, and men’s 4×100 relay.

“The support is great,” Matadi said. “Every time we come out here we try to put our best foot forward and regardless of what goes on, we’re always thankful for it. The support we receive from back home, in the States, in Europe, and Liberians everywhere, it’s love.