Martyn Rooney: "I ran like a dick"

Martyn Rooney: "I ran like a dick"

Team GB sprinter Martyn Rooney has slated his own performance after he was eliminated from the men's 400m in Rio at the first stage.

The 29-year-old - a two-time champion at the European Championships - could only finish fifth in his heat on Friday evening with a time of 45.6s, which was ultimately insufficient to qualify as one of the three fastest losers.

"I ran like a dick, it's pretty much simple as that," Rooney told BBC Sport afterwards. " [I came] to the Olympics to come perform with the best. I feel like I'm in PB shape.

"I don't know what I was doing the first 250m. I'm just gutted for myself and everyone that's supported me."

Rooney's teammate Matthew Hudson-Smith was safely through with a third-place finish and a time of 45.26s in his heat.

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