Haiti’s bumpy ride at Olympics ends as Chatfield gets eliminated in 100-meter hurdles

CAP-HAITIEN — Haiti’s journey at the Paris 2024 Olympics ended Thursday after its last standing athlete, Emelia Chatfield, was eliminated in the repechage round of the 100-meter hurdles. It was her second straight substandard performance in that event, clocking a time of 13.24 seconds and finishing second to last in her heat.

Six of the seven Haitian Olympians failed to qualify to the next round after putting up middling performances against world class athletes at the Olympics. The only athlete who moved to the next round after his first outing was Christopher Borzor, who won his 100-meter sprint in the preliminary round but was later eliminated in the first round.

Despite the Haitian team’s rough ride at the Olympics, Haitian Olympic Committee’s Vice-President Fritz Gérald Fong is content with the athletes’ overall performance.

“I’m satisfied in many respects because these are athletes who we know their conditions already,” Fong told The Haitian Times over the phone on Aug. 7. “They outdid themselves. They did what they could. They gave what they were able to. Could they have done better? That’s possible too.”

The Haitian team’s most disappointing performances came in the combat sports since the athletes who fought lost in blowouts. The team’s flagbearer, Judoka Philippe Metellus, fell to Thai Terada Masayuki, 11-0, in the Round of 32 on July 29. Boxer Cedrick Belony-Dulièpre also lost without scoring a point, bowing out to Brazilian Wanderley Pereira, 5-0, in the Round of 16.

In swimming, Alexandre Grand’Pierre finished in 28th place overall out of 35 athletes in the 100-meter breaststroke, swimming it in 1:02.85 on July 27. The other Haitian swimmer, 14-year-old Mayah Chouloute came up in 59th place overall out of 79, swimming the 50-meter freestyle race in 29.78 seconds on Aug. 3.

Haiti’s female flagbearer and gymnast Lynnzee Brown left the competition in 53rd spot out of 58 athletes, racking 48.832 points on July 28.

As for Christopher Borzor, he finished first in his heat in the 100-meter sprint in the preliminary round, running it in 10.26 seconds on Aug. 3. The same day, Borzor came up in fifth place in the eighth heat of the first round with a time of 10.28 seconds.

After Borzor, on Aug. 7, Chatfield underperformed in the first round of the 100-meter hurdles, sprinting it in 13.06 seconds. That was below her personal record of 12.72 seconds.

After the race, Chatfield told The Haitian Times that she underperformed because she had a slow start coming off the blocks. The Miami native was confident that she was going to do better in the repechage round the following day. The repechage round is a second chance for the runners who did not qualify in the initial round.

“My start could have been better,” Chatfield said after the first round of the event. “Once I get that locked, it will be a better race for tomorrow.”

“I know what I need to do now. I’m excited, hopefully, I will make it to the next round,” Chatfield added.

However, she ran a slower time on Aug. 8, finishing the race in 13.24 seconds. Chatfield, who is only 22, could use the experience she gathered at this year’s Olympics to represent Haiti again at the 2028 Olympics, which will take place in Los Angeles, California. 

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