"Sport about to die off"; "Nobody is asking for super fast times in April"-Fans react to Hunter Woodhall expressing frustration with race expectations

Athletics fans recently reacted to Hunter Woodhall expressing his frustration over people expecting faster times in events.

Woodhall, who competes in men's 200m and 400m in para events, has secured three medals at the Paralympics so far. He secured a silver medal in the 200m T44 and a bronze medal in the 400m T44 at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Further, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he bagged a bronze medal in 400m T44.

The 25-year-old recently voiced his dissatisfaction at the constant expectations for faster speed in competitions. Woodhall attributed the slower times to the start of the season when athletes are not at their peak, stating the athletes undergo strenuous training regimes with their eyes locked on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Dissatisfied by Woodhall's justification, a fan wrote,

"Sport about to die off and he’s yelling at the fans."

Another fan opined that while expecting a world record this early is impractical, the fans are posed to anticipate timings under 9.9 seconds in 100m.

"Nobody is asking for super fast times in April but u cant be talking about world records and not be able to run a 9.9."

While a few fans expressed their disagreement with Woodhall, the other few backed the American athlete saying,

"I agree with him. Track fans acting like they’ve never went through a track season….no one’s peaking in April."

Another fan supported Hunter Woodhall suggesting the fans delight in the ongoing season and said,

"He’s not wrong. People just need to enjoy the early seasons competitions and let the athletes do what they do best."

Here are a few other reactions from fans:

"If you treat competitive meets as training don't expect anyone to follow the sport," wrote another fan.

"He’s right, but I think the fact we’ve had three world records by mid-April does skew people’s expectations," a fan expressed.

Hunter Woodhall qualifies for the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships after setting an American record

Hunter Woodhall poses for a portrait during the Team USA Tokyo 2020 Olympic shoot in West Hollywood, California.

Hunter Woodhall recently showed his exceptional skills, registering the 100m T62 American record at the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships.

He recorded an impressive time of 11:00 seconds at the Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in California, leaving behind Blaker Leeper and Lucas Jundt, who recorded 11:52 and 12:39 seconds, respectively.

By achieving this historic feat, the American athlete booked his ticket along with 29 other athletes to compete at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships slated from Friday, May 17 to Saturday, May 25 at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Japan.