- George Mills appeared to get a push from Frenchman Hugo Hay in the race
- This caused the Team GB star to collide with another rider on the other side.
- The son of former England player Danny, fell along with three other runners
The son of a former England footballer was left furious after his 5,000m heat at the Paris Olympics after he was involved in a massive collision in the final straight of the race.
George Mills, son of former Leeds defender Danny, was hoping to make it through this morning’s 5,000m heat and entered the final straight neck and neck with Frenchman Hugo Hay just behind the leading pack and inside the top ten.
However, Mills appeared to get a push from Hay, and the Englishman tangled his legs with the runner on the other side of him.
Both men went down, along with two other unfortunate riders who were just behind and were unable to react in time to overtake them. Mike Foppen of the Netherlands appeared to land on his neck as he was the last of the quartet to hit the ground.
Mills, having crossed the line, was determined to find Hay and once he saw the Frenchman, he pointed in his direction and began his protests.
George Mills appeared to be pushed by Hugo Hay, leading to a collision with the rider to his right.
Mills and that runner got their legs tangled and fell hard to the ground in the final stretch.
Two other riders did not have time to react and also fell, one of them on his neck.
Immediately after the race, Mills spotted Hay and pointed directly in his direction.
Hay tried to calm the situation but Mills gave the Frenchman a slight push in the chest.
Mills did not appear to be happy with the Frenchman’s response and pushed Hay’s hand off his shoulder before walking away.
The Frenchman appeared to be trying to calm the situation down but Mills gave him a little push.
Mills didn’t seem satisfied with Hay’s response, as he pushed the Frenchman’s hand off his shoulder and walked away.
The Team GB star crossed the line in 18th place, meaning he did not qualify for the next round, while the Frenchman progressed after finishing seventh.
Asked by the BBC to explain what had happened, Mills said: “I think it’s pretty clear. I got stepped on as I was about to kick down the stretch and, boom!, the French lad tackled me.”
Asked what he said to Hay after the race, he replied: “I probably wouldn’t be allowed to say it.”
Asked by the BBC if he had spoken to any officials, he replied: “I haven’t seen any yet, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be appealing, I hope.”
“From my point of view, that was the perfect qualification for me. Passing the first 2,000 meters in six minutes. I thought: ‘Okay, no one in this field can escape me at this pace.'”
“I just sat there waiting and waiting for the right moment to kick off the final stretch and fall to the ground. What can you do?”
George (left) is the son of former Premier League footballer Danny, who played for England.
Mills nearly crashed early in the race when he revealed he had jumped a fence 800m from the finish.
He said: ‘Once it happened I thought ‘thank God, I hope I don’t fall’ and then I fell to the ground.’
Paula Radcliffe, covering the race for the BBC, said after the race: “There’s a lot to sort through, a lot to sort out and decide who was at fault.”
“If you decide to jog a little, it’s kind of your fault. You end up with all those falls.”