Burundi's Olympic silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba has criticised her own team's officials after she unsuccessfully appealed her disqualification that denied her a 5,000m final berth at Tokyo.
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The 800m specialist would have provided a compelling story if she had made the 5,000m medal race.
She was forced to swap events after being barred from running the 800m at the Olympics because of World Athletics' testosterone rules.
She managed to qualify in the 5,000m and 10,000m, which don't fall under the testosterone regulations.
Niyonsaba then unexpectedly finished among the leaders in her 5,000m heat on Friday night.
She was celebrating a place in the final only to realise she'd been disqualified for stepping across lane markings at the race's start.
"My dreams of making it to the finals were crushed," she posted on Twitter.
Niyonsaba appealed the decision but lost.
She noted the United States 4x400m mixed relay team won an appeal against their disqualification for an illegal baton change in the heats on the same night, and won back their place in the final.
"Where was the Burundian team leader when I needed him by my side?" Niyonsaba said.
"USA challenged the disqualification of their mixed relay team and won it. Why could Burundi not do the same for me? I felt so alone, unsupported."
Niyonsaba won the silver medal behind Caster Semenya in the 800m at the Rio Olympics, an event that stoked conversation and controversy about track and field's testosterone regulations.
All three medalists that day, Semenya, Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui of Kenya, were later barred from the event under new rules because of high levels of natural testosterone.
Niyonsaba contests the 10,000m final in Tokyo next Saturday.
Australian Associated Press
