Ethiopian runner Lamecha Girma was taken away on a stretcher after a frightening fall during the Paris Olympics men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final on Wednesday.
Girma, who won silver in the event at the Tokyo Olympics and holds the world record, appeared to clip his leg on a hurdle in the final minute of the race, tripping and falling hard on the track.
He was close to the leader of the pack at the time and lay motionless as his rivals continued on around him.
“In 40 years of commentating running and the steeplechase, I have never seen a fall that heavy,” Peacock commentator Leigh Diffey said on NBC’s broadcast, according to The Athletic.
Girma was placed in a neck brace and carried off the track on a stretcher by medical personnel.
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Girma initially lost consciousness, but was able to speak several minutes later, according to L’Equipe. He was reportedly transported to the Pitié Salpêtrière hospital.
“Following his fall in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate care from the on-site medical teams,” Olympic organizers told The Guardian. “Our thoughts are with him and we are sending him our very best wishes for a swift recovery. Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay updated on his condition.”
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali won gold in the event for the second straight Olympics, finishing in 8:06:05. Kenneth Rooks of the U.S. took silver and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot won bronze.
Girma set the 3,000-meter steeplechase world record in June 2023 with a time of 7:52:11.
