Lythe Pillay struggling to understand what went wrong for him at the Olympics

Pillay finished seventh in the men’s 400m semi-finals with a time of 45.24 seconds. He found himself at a loss for words to explain why everything went wrong.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Pillay expressed his frustrations, noting that his body did not respond as expected and he couldn’t pinpoint the issue.

He is devasted, feeling that he could have done better at the packed Stade de France on Tuesday night.

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"I mean I have been battling with my body for the past two days, I still don't have an answer as to why. It's disheartening seeing the times I've run this season, knowing what I'm capable of and not being able to show it matters most," Pillay said.

"I've been in a mental battle these past two days trying to figure out what's wrong, what's the change and how do I get myself back into shape. I mean last week I was in the shape of my life, winning BP's at training then I get here and it's showing the opposite, that's disheartening but I've got a relay to run.

“I must keep my chin up because it's not just about me, it's about us. I must keep my spirits high, stay motivated and just be prepared to give my best come the relays."

Pillay feels like he let people down, especially those who have supported him over the years.

However, at just 21 years old, this was only his second Olympic Games.

He has plenty of time to qualify for future competitions, starting with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in the United States.

"It feels like I've let down a lot of people back home, I've let down myself. I mean if it's a race, I'm there to run it, it doesn't matter the conditions, it doesn't matter whether my mind or body is in the right place. As long as there's a race to run, I'll be there to do my best. I back myself, I know I can do more but it's gonna take a while to digest."