Athlete runs race on his own after controversy and sets new personal best

11 June 2024 , 12:18

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Makenson Gletty during his bizarre 110m hurdles rerun at the European Championships in Rome.

French decathlete Makenson Gletty missed the set call in his 110m hurdles heat only to get a reprieve by running a personal best in a solo rerun that jettisoned him into first place overall.

The 24-year-old looked shocked in lane nine as his rivals sprinted towards the first hurdle but he was unable to hear the call from race officials on the infield.

Having noticed everyone else running, Gletty belatedly began to move but only managed a time of 15.3sec. And after an appeal he was allowed to return for a second attempt alone, going on to clock a new PB of 13.88.

That earned Gletty 990 points and moved him into the gold medal position following the sixth of ten events with the discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m still to come. Gletty had already run a new personal best of 47.6 in the 400m.

On the penultimate morning of the championships, Keely Hodgkinson coasted into the final of the 800m and the women’s 4x100m and men’s 4x400m teams also progressed.

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But the men’s 4x100m outfit finished last in their heat, leading Richard Kilty to describe their performance as “horrendous.”

Hodgkinson, however, clocked a 1:58 despite struggling with an early wake up call.

Decathlete Makenson Gletty, left, fails to hear the set call in his 110m hurdles heat in Rome.

Makenson Gletty airs his grievances with officials after failing to hear the set call in his heat.

“This is way too early for me and less than 24 hours since the last race,” she said. “I felt good - I think today I wanted to be a bit more where I was comfortable with the pace. A couple of the girls were saying thank you afterwards because they got PBs.”

GB have won two golds, three silvers and four bronze medals so far with Megan Keith and Daryll Neita expected to add to their total on Tuesday night.

By that point Gletty will be hoping his second chance has proven enough for a medal in the most demanding track and field event of all.

Alan Smith