Two days earlier than his Olympic debut, Montenegrin athlete Darko Pešić broke his foot throughout a coaching session. Regardless of docs and the Montenegro Olympic Committee advising him to not compete, Pešić determined to honour his late father by lining up within the males’s 100m prelims.
Pešić spent the final two days in a strolling boot, eliminated the solid and took to the blocks within the males’s 100m prelims, working 11.85 seconds on a damaged foot.
My good friend Darko Pešić, the barefoot-discus decathlete from Montenegro 🇲🇪, has a universality place for the 100m
A number of days in the past he broke a bone in his foot
Darko intends to run the 100m tomorrow, and cross the Olympic ending line in honour of his father, who died in 2020 pic.twitter.com/MX6EY3uFfM
— Gabby Pieraccini (@smokymozzarella) August 3, 2024
“The 100m was not for me; it was for my father, who handed away 4 years in the past and paved the way in which for me on this sport,” Pešić instructed Canadian Operating in a post-race interview. “After I crossed the road, it meant every thing to me. Due to him, I’m the person I’m in the present day.”
Primarily a decathlete, Pešić doesn’t often compete within the males’s 100m. He was given a spot through the World Athletics common spot program, which goals to make sure broader world illustration by permitting athletes from international locations with less-developed sports activities packages to take part within the Olympics.
The 31-year-old defined he sustained the harm on Thursday whereas doing a plyometric exercise (leaping workout routines). “I went to the medics within the village, they usually gave me a strolling boot,” Pešić mentioned. “The docs mentioned I’d not be capable of run for six weeks.”
His nation suggested him to not compete and threat the remainder of his profession as a result of seriousness of the harm, however Pešić mentioned he couldn’t hand over.
Darko Pešić 🇲🇪 did it ! pic.twitter.com/HRluijveLa
— PJ Vazel (@pjvazel) August 3, 2024
“The time or place didn’t matter,” Pešić mentioned. “Even when I walked the 100m, I nonetheless would’ve loved it. Being an Olympian means greater than something.”
Pešić hopes to return to the decathlon as soon as he recovers, with aspirations to compete subsequent yr on the Götzis Hypomeeting in Austria and the 2025 World Championships.
Athletics occasions on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games are happening from Aug. 1-11. Right this moment’s protection is dropped at you by Canadian Operating and New Stability Canada. Comply with us on Twitter on Instagram for all issues Group Canada and up-to-date unique information and content material.
