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Lamecha Girma, an Ethiopian runner, was taken to hospital after hitting his head in a dramatic fall on the last lap of the men’s Olympic 300m steeplechase final.
Girma, the current world record holder and silver medallist in Tokyo, was charging ahead on the final lap when he hit his knee on a hurdle and fell headfirst onto the track. The race continued in his absence, with medics arriving on the track and putting a neck brace on him before he was taken off on a stretcher.
He was taken to the hospital for evaluation and was initially reported to be conscious and vocal.
World record holder Lamecha Girma suffered a nasty fall in the 3000m steeplechase and his rival Soufiane El Bakkali took the Olympic gold
We send you our best wishes and hope that Lamecha is well #Paris2024 image.twitter.com/510IBd3Avu
— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 7, 2024
Girma’s coach, Teshome Kebede, confirmed on Thursday morning that Girma had been hospitalised overnight but was “in good condition”. In Girma’s absence, the race was won by Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, who had also won gold in Tokyo, ahead of American Kenneth Rooks and Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot, who came third. El Bakkali clocked a time of eight minutes and 6.05 seconds but the victory was overshadowed by Girma’s fall as the race ended while he was lying motionless.
Girma’s eyes were open and he was wearing a neck brace as staff members carried him on a stretcher.
“Following his fall in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate medical attention from the medical teams on site. Our thoughts are with him and we send him our best wishes for a speedy recovery,” Paris 2024 said in a statement.
“Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay informed about its status.”
The race had all the ingredients to be an epic duel as El Bakkali waited in the middle of the pack before making his move around 300m from the finish, chasing Girma who was flying through the peloton.
However, events took an unexpected turn when Girma fell, causing gasps from the crowd.
Bakkali chased Rooks into the final corner, but the American fought hard to set a personal best time and take a surprise silver medal.
The Moroccan spread his arms as he crossed the line, becoming the first back-to-back winner of the event since Finland’s Volmari Iso-Hollo in 1932 and 1936, as medical staff were still tending to Girma.
Fans at the Stade de France erupted in applause as he was strapped onto a stretcher and wheeled out through a tunnel.
“I didn’t actually know how bad the crash was; I didn’t know who crashed until after the race, so I’ll keep him in my prayers,” Rooks said.
