British marathoner Chris Thompson is devastated after missing the Oregon World Championships in Athletics due to visa complications as dozens of participants struggle to gain entry into the United States
Runner Chris Thompson Missed World Athletics Championships
He was devastated after failing to obtain a US visa in time for the match
The 41-year-old isn’t alone, hundreds of athletes struggle to get in
He admitted: ‘It should never have come to this and it’s hard to believe it did’
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British marathoner Chris Thompson was devastated to miss the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, after he couldn’t get a US visa in time for the race.
Dozens of participants struggle to get visas to the United States, with the blockade threatening to prevent about 100 athletes, coaches and officials from entering the country for the event, which kicks off later on Friday.
UK Athletics (UKA) said on Friday: ‘UKA had been in close contact with World Athletics and enlisted the help of the UK government to resolve a last minute delay.
Brit Chris Thompson was devastated to miss the World Athletics Championships
“But due to the proximity of the marathon on Sunday, July 17, Thompson can’t travel and participate now.”
Thompson, a former European Championship silver medalist, admitted he was devastated that he hadn’t won.
“I’ll never know what could have been, but I had high hopes for myself going out,” he said.
The marathon runner couldn’t get a US visa in time for the race
“It should never have come to this and it’s hard to believe it has come to this,” said the 41-year-old.
Kenya’s sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man, faced a significant delay in processing his visa before receiving a last-minute approval.
He now faces a race against time to get to Eugene ahead of Friday’s 100m heats.