Clovis native Jenna Prandini’s hopes of capturing an Olympic medal in her strongest event, the 200 meter sprint, were crushed early Monday morning after failing to advance out of the first semifinal.
Prandini, who dominated her first 200 meter heat on Sunday night and finished first overall, finished fifth in a stacked semifinal race that was vastly led by Jamaican sprinter – and 100 meter gold medalist – Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce.
The 200 meter was tabbed to be one in which Prandini had the best odds of capturing an individual medal during the Tokyo Games. With her fifth place finish, those hopes are dashed.
Prandini remains in the pool for Team USA’s 4×100 meter relay team, with competition beginning on Thursday in Tokyo.