Hordeloopster Visser is disappointed after missing the final 100 meters: ‘The level is bizarrely high’ Sport

“It is the first time in years that I am not in the final of a global championship, the level is bizarrely high. That world record of Tobi Amusan (the Nigerian ran 12.12) proves that. But those other girls who didn’t make the final also all ran personal bests. Not me.”

She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong so soon after her race. “I can’t explain why I’m not in my best shape. I’ve had some physical setbacks this year and I would have preferred to run more games in the run-up to the World Cup than I have now, but I was still confident that it would be okay. At the previous major tournaments I often did not have the ideal preparation and I did make it to the final”, said Visser. “But it’s not just my form, the level is also very high. The time I now ran in the semi-finals is usually good for a place in the final.”

Tobi Amusan ran 12.12, a world record.

AFP

Usually Visser does not look at the other races when she has to run as well. “I don’t need to know the times of the others, I prefer to concentrate completely on my own race. But I couldn’t ignore it, because two Nigerian women close to me suddenly started screaming. So I knew that a world record had been set in the first heat and I also knew that I had to run under my personal best of 12.51 to reach the final. I didn’t mind now, because it set me on edge. I also thought I was capable of it, because I’ve shown that in other tournaments.”

This time it turned out differently. After seventh place at the 2017 World Cup in London, sixth place at the 2019 World Cup in Doha and fifth place at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, Visser had to fit in Eugene.