For rising British athlete Jake Odey-Jordan, the phrase ‘it’s not over til it’s over’ has never reigned more true.

After leading the pack for most of the men’s 200m race at the European Athletics U18 Championships, the 16-year-old slowed down far too early, so half of his competitors caught him up and beat him to the finish line.

Commentators speaking over the race in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, called the youngster’s performance a “disaster”.

“He has eased up way too early,” the European Athletics commentator is heard saying, adding: “This is going to be a lesson learnt the very, very hard way.”

Odey-Jordan eventually finished in fourth place, eliminating him from the championships, but the athlete remained upbeat about his performance afterwards.

“It is all right. I mean, it is my fault so I cannot be sad about anything but myself,” he said, according to European Athletics.

“It is what it is. It felt good, it was not the fastest run but it felt good. For sure, it could have been sub 21. But it is all good though.

Read more from Sky News:
Airline passengers facing ‘nine-hour waits’
Snooker legend Ray Reardon dies

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

“I am just out here, it is my first race on this meet, I just tried to get on my legs, nothing hurts me or nothing like that.”

The sprinter is currently ranked 194 in the world in the men’s 200m event. Last month, he won the national title at the New Balance Nationals event in Boston in the US.

Related posts:

Italy wins Eurovision Song Contest as UK fails to score a single point French football match abandoned after fans throw projectiles and invade pitch UK’s Afghanistan evacuation effort ‘down to hours, not weeks’, defence secretary says World Cup every two years could mean African migrants ‘don’t need to die in the sea’ – FIFA president ‘We won’t panic until the Russian tanks arrive’: Ukrainians taking invasion threat in their stride ‘Willing stooges of Saudi sportswashing’: Why golf event is most controversial tournament in sport right now Andrew Tate’s Twitter account used to protest his innocence after human trafficking arrest Biden rules out giving F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine Newly-released photographs show tense hours in White House during Osama bin Laden raid Anti-gay legislation that could mean the death penalty in some cases signed into law in Uganda Ten people killed after ‘overloaded’ bus falls into gorge Little donkey rescued from muddy drain – then fed ginger nuts by firefighters