Tarsis Orogot of Uganda failed to qualify for the 200-meter finals on Tuesday at Hayward Field in Eugene.
Orogot was in the first lane in heat two in a more competitive semi-final with three heats. He competed in a strong field that included notable athletes such as the USA’s defending champion Noah Lyles and 2020 Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek.
He finished in 20.35 seconds, three microseconds slower than his personal best, trailing Lyles, who won the race in 19.62 seconds, and Bednarek, who finished in 19.84 seconds.
According to the qualifying system, the first two athletes from each of the three semifinals automatically qualify for the final, while the next fastest two sprinters from the three semifinal heats also qualify for the final.
Orogot ends Uganda’s nearly 25-year drought without a male sprinter at the World Athletics Championships.
Davis Kamoga, 19, was Uganda’s first male sprinter to compete in the championships since 1997.
Orogot also holds the national record, which he set at the NCCA outdoor championship with a time of 20.32 seconds.
