The Ethiopian fell heavily this Wednesday, August 7 at the Stade de France, in the last few meters of a very contested final of the event on the Dionysian track.
Ethiopian 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Lamecha Girma fell violently during the Olympic final on Wednesday night and, motionless and visibly unconscious, was carried off the purple track at the Stade de France on a stretcher.
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There is no news yet on his health. The impressive fall on the penultimate barrier, just over 200m from the finish, somewhat overshadowed the victory of Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali (8:06.05), who became the first steeplechaser to retain his Olympic title over the distance since Finland’s Volmari Iso-Hollo almost 90 years ago (1932, 1936).
Dramatic moment in #Paris2024Lamecha Girma’s tremendous fall in the 3000m steeplechase, he was one of the candidates for gold, what a shame.pic.twitter.com/IEifZpmpuq
— Pedro Torres (@PepiTorres17) August 7, 2024
Girma, who is seeking Ethiopia’s first Olympic gold medal in the event, came at full speed towards the barrier as he caught up with the leading group but his right leg hit the hurdle hard and he fell heavily to the ground. The middle-distance runner, a three-time world and Olympic runner-up, was no longer moving and was carried off on a stretcher a few minutes later, to the applause of the crowd.
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Before the Ethiopian’s fall, the evening was marked by the victory of the American Quincy Hall in the 400m. Author of a breathtaking final straight, he smashed his record by four tenths (43.40) to win his first Olympic title at 26 years old, after the world bronze last summer.
