Canadian sprinter Kim Hyacinthe will not race in Rio due to injury
200-metre and 4x100m sprinter injured in London in July
By Pete Evans, CBC Sports
Sprinter Kimberly Hyacinthe will not race in either the 200-metres or the 4x100-metre relay in Rio due to injury.
Athletics Canada made the announcement in a press release Thursday afternoon.
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"I was not very happy about it," Hyacinthe told CBCSports.ca, insisting that she has recovered from her quadricep injury. "I was frustrated, I was mad I was sad at the same time because basically my dreams just shattered in front of me."
The Terrebonne, Que.-based sprinter qualified for the Rio Games both by meeting the Olympic time standards and at Canadian trials earlier this summer.
But at an IAAF race in London last month, Hyacinthe appeared to injure herself and did not finish the 200-metre race.
"Medical examination and testing revealed a leg injury," Athletics Canada said. "Kim received outstanding medical treatment immediately upon her return to Canada in the hopes of rehabilitating the injury and getting her ready to perform at the Olympic Games."
Hyacinthe told CBCSports.ca that she was asked to run a "flying 80" in Toronto on Wednesday to prove her readiness, but didn't reach close enough to a time she ran at last year's world championships. A flying 80 is a practice exercise where a sprinter gradually accelerates from a standing position.
Track events start Friday
Athletics Canada says the team will not replace Hyacinthe in the 200-metre race, so the lone Canadian in that event will be her teammate, Toronto's Crystal Emmanuel.
"For sure I'm going to be watching her. And I'm going to watch everything that I can because I just love track," Hyacinthe said. "It's just going to be a little bit hard but at the same time it's out of my control and I can't do anything about it."
"I'm just going to be a cheerleader I guess and enjoy."
The team has many options in the relay, and coaches will choose between Emmanuel, Phylicia George, Khamica Bingham, Marissa Kurtimah and Farah Jacques to build a four-person squad.
Heats for the 200 are scheduled to begin on Monday. Qualifiers in the relay start next Thursday.
Hyacinthe helped Canada win bronze in the 4x100-metre relay at the recent Pan Am Games and she placed sixth in the 200 metres individually.