News / Sports

Iranian sprinter Taftian fails to win Olympics berth

Sunday, 26 June 2016 2:45 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 26 June 2016 2:49 PM ]

Iranian sprinter Hassan Taftian

Iranian sprinter Hassan Taftian has missed the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games as he finished third at the 16th edition of Reunión Internacional de Atletismo Villa de Bilbao in Spain.

On Saturday evening, the 23-year-old Iranian athlete competed in the men’s 200-meter race, and clocked 21.08 seconds to bring home a bronze medal.

Two Cuban sprinters registered 20.54 and 20.82 seconds in the event, claiming the first and second titles.

Taftian had to meet the qualification mark of 20.50 seconds in the 200-meter heat to secure a place in the Rio Olympics.

The sporting event in Spain was held on June 25. It attracted dozens of champion runners from several countries, and participants competed for the Olympics berth.

Taftian clocked 10.04 seconds at the men’s 100-meter final of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Challenge meeting in Madrid, Spain, and stood on top of the podium on Thursday evening.

Spain’s Bruno Hortelano and Kemar Hyman of Cayman Islands registered 10.06 and 10.13 seconds respectively to land in the second and third places.

Taftian also improved his national 100-meter time record of 10.10 by 0.06 seconds.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir