MUHAMMAD AZEEM, SHEREEN MISS MERIT SLOTS TO PARIS OLYMPICS

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- The chances for national athletics stars Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabouy to secure merit slots in their respective events for the 2024 Paris  Olympics can be said to be over after failing to achieve the desired results at the Kazakhstan Open Championships on Saturday.

The championship was the last opportunity for both of them to qualify on merit through the Olympic qualification rankings after previously failing to qualify automatically.

Muhammad Azeem, who needed to win and clock at least 10.20 seconds (s) to boost his ranking position, had to settle for third place with a time of 10.37s in the 100m final at the Almaty Olympic Training Centre.

The first place was claimed by Thailand's sprint champion Puripol Boonson with a time of 10.23s, followed by Kayhan Ozer from Turkey who won silver with a time of 10.25s.

Shereen won the 400m event with a time of 52.60s, leaving behind host athletes Anna Shumilo (56.01s) and Milana Zubareva (57.80s) in second and third places respectively. However, she failed in another mission to break her national record of 51.79s.

Muhammad Azeem has to break into the top 56 while Shereen needs to be among the top 48 runners in the Olympic qualification ranking update expected to be announced on June 30 in order to make the cut.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Athletics Federation (KOM) Technical Director Robert J Ballard said both of them had shown high fighting spirit to qualify on merit for Paris.

"Unfortunately neither was able to directly qualify for Paris Olympics.

"It will now go down to the wire on World Ranking Road to Paris criteria and their respective positions have not yet been determined by the World Athletics Analysts," he said when contacted.

-- BERNAMA