Sprinter commits inexplicable massive blunder during 200m race

British sprinter Jake Odey-Jordan on Friday had a race to forget during the European Athletics U18 Championships in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.

The 16-year-old got off to a blazing start in the boys’ 200-meter race. But with about 50 meters left in the race, Odey-Jordan bizarrely decided to slow down.

During the first half of the race, the announcers marveled as Odey-Jordan took a huge lead over his competitors. Their praise turned into disbelief in a matter of seconds as the teenager blew what had looked like an easy victory.

“He’s just easing up. What’s happened here? What has gone on there?” said one European Athletics announcer.

“That was an absolute disaster,” said the other announcer in the booth. “He has eased up far, far, far too early and half the field swept past him before the finish line. This is going to be a lesson learned the very, very hard way after what was, for 150 meters, a masterful display of sprinting.”

A valuable lesson learned in #BanskaBystrica2024! ⚠

Don't ease back *that* early…! 😬 pic.twitter.com/eOlcLFtA3S

— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 19, 2024

Odey-Jordan finished 4th in the race. The result eliminated him from the competition.

But at least Odey-Jordan didn’t fail as badly as one speedwalker who got too cocky in her 20-kilometer race last month.