- The men’s 5000m at the Paris Olympics began on Wednesday with qualifying heats
- The first heat had a controversial ending when four riders collided and then fell.
- In the second heat, a cameraman interrupted the race with even more chaotic scenes.
The men’s 5000-meter heats at the Paris Olympics suffered further disruptions on Wednesday when a cameraman got in the way of runners in a race.
The event has already been hugely dramatic after four athletes, including Team GB’s George Mills (son of former England footballer Danny) fell in the final straight during the first heat.
Mills was making good progress until he was involved in an altercation with Frenchman Hugo Hay and crashed, leaving the British star to confront Hay at the finish line after qualifying 18th.
However, in the second heat, things heated up again as the field of riders headed into the final four laps.
As the racers rounded the bend into the straightaway, a rogue cameraman walked across the track toward the edge, unaware that he was disrupting the race.
The 5000m heats at the Olympics suffered further disruptions when a cameraman interrupted a race.
As the racers took the detour to the straightaway, a rogue cameraman was walking around the track.
He seemed blissfully unaware of what was happening as the athletes ran straight past him.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (sixth from the back in blue shorts and white jersey) was infuriated by the bizarre incident and gestured angrily towards the cameraman as he ran past.
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He seemed completely surprised as competitors ran past him and almost collided with him in dangerous scenes.
The cameraman, who was carrying his filming equipment, fortunately realised his mistake and avoided causing a damaging crash on the track, forcing many athletes to swerve to avoid it.
Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen was one of several runners who became enraged by gesturing towards a cameraman who was running past.
During the bizarre incident, it appeared as if the cameraman was focusing on the women’s javelin qualification, which was taking place at the same time, and it turned out to be another major mistake by the organisers of the Paris Olympics.
Ingebrigtsen won the series, while Ethiopian Biniam Mehary and Belgian Isaac Kimeli completed the top three as only one rider crashed out of the race.
In the previous series, where Mills was one of four men to go down following a collision, the British team star was pitted against Frenchman Hay at the finish line.
The pair They were seen arguing and making physical contact, with Mills angrily pointing at Hay and he expressed his anger when speaking to the BBC shortly afterwards.
“I think it’s pretty clear,” he said. “I got stepped on as I was about to kick down the stretch and boom, the French guy took me down.”
The cameraman’s actions came so close to causing a damaging collision on the track.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen was furious with the cameraman before winning the race.
Asked what he said when confronted by Hay: “I probably won’t be allowed to say it.”
Asked if he had spoken to officials, he said: “I haven’t seen anyone but I’m pretty sure BA (British Athletics) will be there to lodge an appeal, I hope.”
‘From my perspective, that was the perfect qualifying for me, to cover the first 2km in six minutes.
“I thought, ‘Nobody in this field can get away from me at this pace,’ so I just sat there waiting, waiting for the right moment to kick off the final stretch and then, bang!, I hit the ground. What can you do?’
Mills subsequently won his appeal and was granted a place in the 5000m final.
