Eagles WR Devon Allen Disqualified for False Start at World Athletics Championships: 'Frustrating'

Natasha Dye
·2 min read
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Devon Allen
Devon Allen
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Steph Chambers/Getty Olympian Devon Allen

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devon Allen was disqualified for a false start during the 110-meters hurdles semifinals at the 2022 World Athletic Championships on Sunday.

Allen, 27, violated regulations when he reacted to the starting gun too quickly, NFL.com reported.

Runners are not allowed to start within 0.1 seconds ahead of the starting gun, and the digital starting block recorded Allen reacting at 0.099, 0.001 too soon.

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Allen tried to protest his disqualification with race officials, but the decision held, leading to boos from the crowd at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Yahoo Sports reported.

Expectations for Allen's performance in Sunday's semifinals were high, after the Philadelphia Eagles rookie won his preliminary heat with a time of 13.47 seconds, per NFL.com.

"It's frustrating," Allen told NBC Sports Philadelphia after the race on Sunday.

Allen continued, "Track and field is so difficult because you train the whole year for one competition and it lasts 12 seconds, 13 seconds, and that's that. And it's kind of like your identity is based on that one competition and it's frustrating, but it happens and I'll learn from it and make sure I don't react as fast next time."

Devon Allen
Devon Allen

Carmen Mandato/Getty Devon Allen

"I'm hungry for everything I do," the Eagles hopeful added.

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"My goal is to be the best hurdler ever and I still have a chance to do that, and my goal is to play in the NFL and help the Eagles win a Super Bowl," Allen told NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Allen, a two-time Olympic athlete, took to Twitter after his disqualification to congratulate the race's winners. "Great job to my boys," Allen wrote in a tweet to Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham, who finished the race in second and first place.