This Tuesday, Portuguese swimmer Diogo Ribeiro paid the “price of a good start” by failing to reach the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, finishing 28th in the qualification.
Although Diogo Ribeiro could still compete in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly (a distance in which he is the reigning world champion), he did not neglect the 100m and hoped to at least guarantee himself a place in the semi-finals.
“I had a good start and I think I was almost ahead, but in the end I paid for a good start. But I am calm and it does not bother me,” the Portuguese swimmer said in the end.
Ribeiro, 19, said he even went out to run calmly, but always said that “these are the Olympic Games.”
“The feeling of participating in the Games is completely different. By the way, I was super calm, even calmer than when I was at the World Championships, but, be that as it may, not everything always goes well. However, as I already said, it does not bother me, I am absolutely calm about what is missing,” added the Benfica athlete.
The swimmer stressed that he always gives his best in every race and the same was true for this round: “I ended up paying the bill at the door, but as I said, it was the first race and I also noticed the feeling in my body. Now I’m focused on what’s missing and I’ll do my best.”
In qualifying on Tuesday, Ribeiro finished the ninth and penultimate run in seventh place with a time of 48.88 seconds, leaving him outside the top 16 places that guarantee qualification, last with a time of 48.41.
The 50m and 100m butterfly world champion, making his Olympic debut, will also compete in the 50m freestyle on Thursday and the 100m butterfly on Friday.