At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Mozambique sprinter Steven Sabino’s Olympic debut was marred by a serious error during his only event on Saturday.
Sabino’s inaugural Summer Olympics ended abruptly as he was disqualified from the men’s 100-meter prelim after executing a false start on the striking purple track at the Stade de France.
Mozambique’s Steven Sabino reacts on the sidelines after his disqualification while other athletes prepare for the men’s 100m heat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, on August 3, 2024. (Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images)
During the second heat of the day, Sabino was the first to leave the blocks before the starting gun was fired. He seemed to raise his hand in confusion as officials discussed the violation nearby.
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An official approached Sabino, displaying the red card to inform him of his disqualification for the false start. He appeared to plead with them, but to no avail.
Following the incident, Sabino shared that he mistakenly reacted to what he thought was the starting gun from a different event.
“We lined up, and I heard a bang,” Sabino recounted tearfully, via Yahoo Sports. “I have no idea where it came from. Maybe the pole vault. I don’t know. It sounded like the bang you hear when the electronic gun goes off.”
Steven Sabino of Team Mozambique makes a false start during the men’s 100m preliminary round at the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
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“The officials didn’t even listen to what I had to say,” he lamented regarding the race officials. “I gave everything for this.”
Sabino earned his chance to compete in the Olympics in the 100-meter sprint by acquiring a universality wildcard. He clinched a silver medal in the event at the 2023 African U18 Championship and set a national record in the men’s 100-meter in March with a time of 10.35 seconds in Johannesburg.
“To check off something of this caliber from my bucket list as an 18-year-old high school student is unbelievable,” he stated on Instagram last month. “This dedication is for my parents and siblings. Thank you for your unwavering support, even when I feel out of place.”
Mozambique’s Steven Sabino departs the track after his disqualification while other athletes prepare for the men’s 100m heat on August 3, 2024. (Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)
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Sabino wasn’t the only sprinter to face the Olympics’ stringent false start regulations on Saturday. As reported by Yahoo Sports, Britain’s Jeremiah Azu was also disqualified in his 100m prelim heat after prematurely leaving the blocks.
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