Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith arrived in Zurich carrying the confidence of a sprinter who had pieced together one of her most consistent seasons. Fresh off a string of Diamond League podium finishes, the Ivorian champion posted a season best of 10.90 seconds in Silesia and backed it up with strong runs in Lausanne and Eugene. And the Diamond League final promised another chance to extend her form. But it produced the one outcome she dreaded: Disqualification.

The crowd inside Letzigrund had expected another head-to-head contest among the fastest women in the world. Instead, it saw Ta Lou-Smith leave the blocks too early. The false start ruling ended her campaign before the gun was officially fired, and though she continued down the track in protest, the result was already final. That setbac

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