Amidst the electrifying performances, fans witnessed an unfortunate event as Aleia Hobbs suffered an injury at the 2024 World Indoor Athletics Championships.
Before the commencement of the 60m final event, Hobbs was overshadowed by a crippling injury. The surprising injury sidelined her from competing in the finals. However, the injury wasn't an instantaneous occurrence.
During her interview with Citius Mag after her 60m event heat, the 28-year-old stated that everything wasn't quite in place for her from the beginning. After being asked how the first round at the Emirates Arena felt, Hobbs expressed a few difficulties she faced.
"It felt pretty good. It was a little rough. I had to get going. I don’t know. My legs feel heavy for some reason, but we got that one out of the way," said Hobbs at 0.05 seconds.
The American sprinter reportedly suffered a calf injury and found herself in pain and discomfort before the 60m event final. The medical team responded quickly, rushing to her aid. The 2020 Olympic medalist left the arena in tears as she was pushed away in a wheelchair.
Aleia Hobbs put in an excellent performance in the 60m semifinals after finishing behind Eva Swoboda and Julien Alfred, clocking 7.04 seconds. Saint Lucian Olympian Alfred secured the victory in the women's 60m event after registering 6.98 seconds to create a world lead. She was followed by the Polish athlete Swoboda, who recorded a flat 7 seconds.
"I kind of just ignore it" - Aleia Hobbs on social media trolls
Aleia Hobbs faces significant body shaming on social media, confronting unjust criticism of her physical appearance.
During an interview with Olympics.com, she expressed her experience of facing derogatory remarks on social media, including being called a "trans." Unfazed by the criticism, Hobbs conveyed that she has learned to cope with the negative comments by disregarding them.
"People go crazy on social media about me," Hobbs said. "Oh, my goodness, it’s horrible. Like everybody keeps saying, ‘that’s a trans…of course she's going to win, she's a man …’I am not, but its ok."
"I kind of just ignore it… I try to tell myself, ‘Don’t worry about them, they are just talking’. But it seems that every time I run fast and fast, I get more and more," she continued. "They do make me feel like alright I am going to show you all then. Every time I step on track, I am going to run as fast as I can."