#WorldChamps2023: Parchment, Bennett react to Broadbell crashing out of hurdles competition
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Jamaica’s world leader and gold medal favourite Rasheed Broadbell remained mum as he made his way slowly through the mixed zone after failing to complete the first round of the 110m hurdles on Sunday’s second morning of the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
Broadbell had just taken the lead in his heat when he hit the ninth and penultimate barrier and fell hard to the track before slowly walking off.
His teammates Hansle Parchment, who raced just ahead of him, and Orlando Bennett, who was in the following heat, were both stunned. Broadbell’s parents, who arrived in Budapest Saturday evening were both devastated. His mother was in tears.
Parchment, who was still in the mixed zone and saw the race, stared at the screen with his mouth open.
“Yes I am in shock, me a look forward to me and my teammate going through and bringing home a couple of medals, definitely was looking forward to that,” he told OBSERVER ONLINE.
The Olympic champion added, “This is very unfortunate, I don’t even know what happened there but it’s hurdles, sometimes you hit a barrier and things go bad, very unfortunate.”
Bennett described the incident as “very devastating,”.
“I had to try and refocus. I had him down to win a medal but that’s life you have to brush it off and move on.”
Broadbell just missed making it to the final of the 110m hurdle last year at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon missing the final by one-hundredths of a second.
-Paul A Reid