Why did Gurinderveer not get the semi-final ticket? (Photo- PTI)
Gurindervir Singh, Commonwealth Games 2026: There were huge expectations from India’s fastest sprinter Gurindervir Singh in the Commonwealth Games 2026. But the journey of this 25-year-old athlete from Punjab, who created a new national record earlier this year, ended in the heat stage of the men’s 100 meter race. Fans are surprised as to why Gurinderveer could not qualify for the semi-finals despite finishing second in his heat. Actually, the reason behind this is the rule of Commonwealth Games about which very few fans know.
Why did Gurinderveer not get the semi-final ticket?
The rule to reach the next round i.e. semi-finals of 100 meter race in Commonwealth Games is not only to be on top in the heat, but time also matters. Actually, this time a total of 73 sprinters took part in 11 different heats for the 100 meter race in the Commonwealth Games. According to the rules, only the top 17 athletes with the fastest timing in all the heats combined were to get a place in the semi-finals.
Talking about Gurinderveer’s timing, he secured second place with a timing of 10.39 seconds. But due to his timing of 10.39 seconds, he stood 28th overall among 73 sprinters, whereas to enter the semi-finals, a timing of at least 10.24 seconds was required. For this reason, even after coming second in his heat, he failed to make it to the top-17 in the time limit and was eliminated.
Coach revealed hamstring injury
After the race, Gurinderveer’s coach James Hillier also revealed the reason behind his disappointing timing. The coach told that Gurinderveer was suffering from a hamstring injury for the last one month, which the team had deliberately kept hidden from the media and public. Let us tell you, Gurinderveer Singh had created history during the Federation Cup held in Ranchi in May 2026. He achieved the distinction of becoming the fastest sprinter in the country by completing the race in just 10.09 seconds. With this, he became the first athlete from India to cover this distance in less than 10.10 seconds. But he could not repeat his feat in the Commonwealth Games.
