[WATCH] Maltese athlete places first in women’s 100m preliminary round

Charlotte Wingfield became the first Maltese athlete to qualify for a second round in the Rio Olympics, after winning the women’s 100m preliminary race.

The 21-year-old, who ran in the third heat, finished the race in 11.86 seconds, narrowly ahead of Congo’s Cecilia Bouele who finished second in 11.98 seconds and Suriname’s Sunayna Wahl, who came third in 12.09 seconds. A total of 24 athletes took part in the race. 

Wingfield is British by birth, but last year switched her sporting allegiance to Malta, where her father was born.

Wingfield will compete in the first round of the women’s 100m tomorrow at 03:40 (local time).