When the Tokyo Olympics qualifying window ended Matthew Clarke had missed by 0.1 seconds

When Matthew Clarke looked at the clock with a lap to go he knew it was going to be close. "To miss the cut-off by less than a second is pretty much unheard of in a steeplechase, like in an eight-and-a-half-minute race," the Olympic hopeful said after missing the time by 0.6. "Despite the heartbreak that he had two days earlier, his first thought was almost to let me know that he could help me," Clifford said. "It was an amazing opportunity to have such an incredible runner like Clarkey and such a good mate and someone who is an incredible communicator, which is perfect for guide running, by my side," Clifford said. "Technically I'm still the 45th guy in a field of 45 but the steeplechase is a wild event – you've got to jump over five barriers a lap with a water jump, crazy things can happen," Clarke said.