In a turn of events that could only happen at the Olympics, the Solomon Islands have placed the 30-year-old marathon runner into its lone spot in the women's 100 meters. Firisua finished 72nd in the marathon at the Tokyo Games and was hoping to make Paris her third Olympic marathon.
When approached with the opportunity for the wild-card spot in the women's 100 meters, the country's officials were told the 100 was the only race that had room. The decision received backlash from top sprinter Jovita Arunia who did not qualify for the event.
"We're the [actual] sprinters. ... I don't know what went wrong. It's unbelievable," said Jovita Arunia, expressing discontent with the decision. She even mentioned considering quitting the sport due to not being given the nation's spot.
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