OPINION: An inch can make all the difference in the cutthroat sport of athletics

The winners and losers in elite sport are often decided by the smallest of margins, and there might be no code where this rings true more than track and field athletics.

In some disciplines, the slightest error can make the difference between earning a gold medal and going home with nothing, as was evident in the Olympic men’s 100m final on Sunday night.

Akani Simbine took fourth place in 9.82 seconds, just 0.03 behind American winner Noah Lyles.

For Simbine, it was another heartbreaking result. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio he finished fifth, 0.03 shy of a medal, and in Tokyo three years ago he was fourth, missing the podium by 0.04.

Other events

It’s not only in the 100m sprint, however, where small margins make all the difference.

In the men’s shot put qualifying round at the Paris Games over the weekend, Kyle Blignaut landed the shot just three centimetres short of a place in the final.

Middle-distance runner Tshepo Tshite was also left gutted. In the repechage round of the men’s 1 500m event, he was 0.03 outside a spot in the semifinals.

And it’s not the first time Tshipe has been left wondering what might have been had he found another inch before the finish line. At the World Championships in Budapest last year, he missed out on a spot in the 1 500m final by just 0.01.

Every inch counts

As much as it must be tough to accept, however, the reality is that this has nothing to do with luck. When they’re competing at the highest level of the sport, athletes need to remind themselves that they have to leave it all out on the track.

They have only one chance every four years to get the best out of themselves at the Olympic Games, and they have to ensure they are ready for battle in a sport which can be very unforgiving.

If they get it right, athletes are glorified for the rest of their lives. If they slip up, they are often left kicking themselves for the next four years.

Athletics is brutal. Every millisecond, and every centimetre, could count for everything.