Freetown | 30th July 2021 | Vertex Media

Sierra Leone’s sprinter Margaret Vanessa Barrie popularly known as Maggie Barrie was unable to progress to round two of the Women’s 100-metre in the Tokyo Olympics after finishing 7th place in round 1 Heat 3. She however clocked 11.45secs, her Season Best so far, while round 1 hate 3 was won by Burghadt of Germany with a time of 11.08sec.

Earlier on Friday morning, Maggie finished 2nd with 11.53 seconds in the Heat 1 Preliminary Round, but her improved 11.45 seconds wasn’t enough to progress beyond Round 1. This means that Sierra Leone’s journey in the track event in this year’s Olympic Games, ended here. Attention turns to the two Sierra Leone swimmers, the only remaining Sierra Leonean athletes in the Tokyo Games.

Maggie remains Sierra Leone’s best performer in that category of the Olympic Games.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Hafasatu Kamara also won her Heat 1 Preliminary Round with 12.24 seconds and advanced to Round One. Despite improving her time from 12.24 seconds to 12. 22 seconds, that wasn’t enough to take her beyond Round One which was won by Netherland’s Dafne Schippers who clocked 11.06.

As Sierra Leone still struggle to progress to the Semi Finals of the Women’s 100 meters in the Olympics, all focus is on the next Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games, and the 2024 Olympic Games which is just under 3 years. Better and early preparations must start now.