Nineteen-year-old Tongan sprinter Maleselo Fukofuka made his Olympic debut in the men’s 100m preliminary round at the Paris Olympics, running a personal best time of 12.11 seconds in heat 5. Despite his efforts, Fukofuka placed eighth in his heat and did not advance to the next round, as only the first two in each heat and the next four fastest runners qualify for Round 1.
Earlier this year, Fukofuka ran a time of 12.57 seconds at the Oceania Athletics Championships, where he also finished eighth. His performance in Paris ranked him 45th out of 45 competitors in the preliminary round.
The men’s 100m preliminary round saw Christopher Borzor of Haiti lead with a time of 10.26 seconds. The Olympic record of 9.63 seconds, set by Usain Bolt of Jamaica at the London Olympics, remains unchallenged.
Four other sprinters from the Pacific region competed in the event. Fiji’s Waisake Tewa achieved his season best with a time of 10.73 seconds, while Nauru’s Winzar Kaikouea clocked in at 11.15 seconds. Tuvalu’s Hepoiteloto Maibuca set a new national record with a time of 11.30 seconds.
