- The Eritrean runner led the pack around the 2,000m mark of the competition.
- He then stumbled, put his hand to his face and appeared to spit on the track before walking off.
- Kenyan Beatrice Chebet took gold while Britain’s Megan Keith was beaten
This is the strange moment Rahel Daniel, who was leading the women’s Olympic 10,000m final, “drops out” halfway through the race in Paris.
The Eritrean runner was leading the long-distance race under the lights of the Stade de France when she inexplicably decided to leave the track, leaving her rivals free to overtake her.
Daniel was comfortable in the 2,000m race and led Japanese Rino Goshima.
Then, in a puzzling incident, the athlete went off the track as she entered the home straight approximately eight minutes into the race.
The incident appeared to be triggered when Daniel appeared to stumble slightly before putting his hand to his face and spitting on the track.
This is the strange moment Rahel Daniel, who was leading the women’s Olympic 10,000m final, “walks away” halfway through the race
The Eritrean runner was ahead of the rest in the long-distance race under the lights of the Stade de France.
Japan’s Rino Goshima took the lead from Daniel but soon fell down the order.
The runner then separated from the rest of the group, to the bewilderment of the crowd that filled the Stade de France.
Shortly after, she attempted to leave the stadium before Olympic officials blocked her from leaving and forced her to walk along the side of the course.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet eventually took the gold medal in a slow 10,000m final after Goshima fell down the order.
The reasons for Daniel’s withdrawal from the race are not yet confirmed, but the race took place on a particularly humid night in the French capital.
Steve Cram said on BBC One: “This is a phenomenal athlete (Chebet). A world record holder and now a double Olympic champion.
“In the end he had to work hard to get it.”
Meanwhile, Team GB’s Megan Keith endured a tough race and looked visibly emotional as she finally crossed the finish line.
She was consoled by teammate Eilish McColgan, who finished 15th, and cheered on by the crowd as she completed her first event in a British vest.
Kenyan Beatrice Chebet eventually took the gold medal in a slow 10,000-meter final.
Meanwhile, Team GB’s Megan Keith endured a tough race and looked visibly emotional as she finally crossed the finish line.
She was consoled by teammate Eilish McColgan (left), who finished 15th.
Eritrea’s Daniel was not the only runner to withdraw from the 10,000m midway through the race, as France’s Alessia Zarbo quit the race after falling, an incident that prompted gasps from worried home supporters.
Eritrea’s Daniel came into the race with high hopes after finishing fifth in the event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Despite her disconcerting early exit, just reaching the final ensured the athlete a better showing than her performance at the Tokyo Games three years ago, where she fell short in the semi-finals, that time in the 5,000m event.