Jake Odey-Jordan learned a valuable lesson at the U18 European Athletic Championships on Friday. The rising high school junior lost his first track and field event of the weekend in brutal fashion.
Although it was a humbling and embarrassing way to lose, the young sprinter is not going to let one major mistake get him down.
Odey-Jordan attends Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C. He won the high school indoor track and field national championship in the 200-meter event earlier back in March.
The 16-year-old (!!) speedster swept the event with a 20.55 at the outdoor championships last month.
Although Odey-Jordan lives in the States today, he was born in East London and runs for Great Britain. His goal this year is to qualify for the U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru at the end of August.
However, Odey-Jordan will not be there to run the 200 after his performance on Friday.
Great Britain makes him qualify for U20s at the U18 European Championship, which takes place this weekend in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. His first race of the meet was a disaster.
Rather, the ending was a disaster. Most of 200-meter race was very strong. Odey-Jordan got out to a huge lead during the first heat of the qualifying round. The race was his to lose and he lost it.
Odey-Jordan looked back at his competition without about 50 meters to go. They were nowhere to be found, about 10 meters back.
He slowed way, way down in that moment.
As Odey-Jordan faded, his competition came on strong. Three different runners passed him with less than three meters to go. They beat him to the line!
Odey-Jordan went from first to fourth in a matter of seconds and did not qualify for the next round.
“It is all right. I mean, it is my fault so I cannot be sad about anything but myself. It is what it is. It felt good, it was not the fastest run but it felt good. For sure, it could have been sub 21. But it is all good though. I am just out here, it is my first race on this meet, I just tried to get on my legs, nothing hurts me or nothing like that.”
— Jake Odey-Jordan
Friday’s mistake proved costly. Not only did Jake Odey-Jordan’s premature slowdown eliminate any chance at at a U18 European title, it also took him out of a bid for U20 Worlds!