Medalist hopeful Devon Allen was disqualified from the men’s 110m hurdles final on Monday night for a false start, ending his chance for glory at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships before the race even started.
Allen was disallowed from running in the final after coming out of the blocks early on Sunday night in Eugene, Ore. The 27-year-old was disqualified due to his reaction time being .001 seconds faster than the .1 threshold that all competitors must meet for a clean start.
Once Allen was notified that he was the runner who was going to be disqualified, he walked over to race officials to plead his case. However, after a brief appeal, the ruling was upheld and Allen left the track.
The disqualification eliminated any chance for a United States podium sweep as Allen was projected to be in the running for a medal alongside teammates Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham. Allen had been in strong form in recent months prior to running a 13.09 in his semifinal heat Saturday. Just last month, he posted a blistering 12.84 – the third fastest time in the event’s history.
But Allen could do nothing but watch Sunday’s final after his disqualification. His teammates carried the mantle for the Americans with Holloway winning gold in a time of 13.03 seconds and Cunningham taking home the silver.
Although Allen will leave Eugene without a world championships medal, he’ll have to quickly change his focus to football. The former Oregon wideout signed a three-year contract with the Eagles earlier this offseason and Philadelphia will begin training camp next week.
Allen, who hasn’t played football since 2016 due to multiple severe knee injuries, impressed the Eagles by running a 4.35 40-yard dash at Oregon’s Pro Day in April. He’ll now get a chance to make the team’s roster this summer as a 27-year-old rookie.
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