RIO DE JANEIRO: Shaunae Miller can afford to see the funny side of the storm that erupted on social media after she threw herself over the line to beat American Allyson Felix in the Olympic 400 metres final on Monday.
The athlete from the Bahamas launched herself into a headlong dive to deny Felix by 0.07 seconds, provoking a torrent of largely hostile reaction from US viewers, many apparently unaware that the tactic was entirely legitimate.
Among the images online were photoshopped pictures appearing to show her taking part in the diving competition in the famously green Olympic pool.
“You know I saw a few of the memes and things that they had on social media and I just got a good laugh out of it,” Miller said.
“The good thing about it is that those that are involved in the sport, they understand it. It’s not like the first time it’s happened, it’s happened so many times.”