Tarmoh Pulls Out Of Run-Off; Surrenders Final Spot to Felix
Jeneba Tarmoh decided to withdraw from the 100 meter run-off against Allyson Felix that was scheduled for Monday night.
Tarmoh finished in a dead heat with Felix for third place more than a week ago and was scheduled to race off against her for the third and final spot in the women's 100 meter Olympics squad.
But after a stressful week of debating whether to decide the final spot through a run-off or a coin flip, Tarmoh decided to just withdraw altogether and concede the spot to Felix, according to USA Today.
USA Today's David Leon Moore reported Tarmoh's agent saying, She will not run today...The Great Race is off...Jeneba surrending spot.
The decision to surrender the spot is a curious one, though Tarmoh's recent comments about the situation implied she wasn't exactly comfortable with the two options she had.
In my heart of hearts, I just feel like I earned the third spot. I almost feel like I was kind of robbed, she told the Associated Press.
This decision was really hard for me to make. I was pushed into a corner. They said if you don't make a decision, you give your spot up. I work too hard to just give my spot up. I had to say it was a runoff.
Tarmoh is eligible to compete in the women's 4x100 relay, but otherwise she will not compete in any events at the Olympics. The decision to cancel the run-off was likely devastating to Tarmoh, but also is a huge blow for the track & field community.
Rarely does track get a chance to showcase its sport through a primetime event like the run-off would have been. The event would have drawn in millions of viewers.
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