This is the frightening moment emergency medics rushed to help French runner Alessia Zarbo after she collapsed to the ground during the Olympics‘ 10,000-meter final.
With a handful of laps left in the Stade de France, one of the home favorites fell to the ground on the home straight, while the race continued alongside her in the next lane.
As the camera followed the leading pack around the bend, TV viewers saw medics urgently attending to the runner, with others bringing a stretcher to her aid.
France’s RMC Sport is reporting that Zarbo is ‘feeling better and recovering’ after the race. She did not do any post-race interviews. Another runner, Eretria’s Rahel Daniel, dropped out after briefly leading in the early stages of the 10,000-meter race.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet surged to the Olympic women’s 10,000 meters gold medal in 30 minutes 43.25 seconds on Friday to add to her 5,000 title at the Games.
Alessia Zarbo is treated by medics on teh track as Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi leads the pack
Alessia Zarbo, of France, is treated on the track during the women’s 10,000-meter run
Zarbo falls on the track during the women’s 10,000-meter run at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Only one lane separated the collapsed Zargo from leader Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi
Italian Nadia Battocletti took silver in 30:43.35 and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, the gold medal winner in Tokyo, finished third in 30:44.12.
World record holder Chebet did her share of the early pace-making and when the pack broke into a sprint with one lap remaining she pulled away on the final turn to deliver Kenya’s first gold medal in the event.
It remains unclear if Zarbo or Daniel have been infected with COVID-19, which has been going around the Olympic village.
Noah Lyles won a bronze with the virus in front of tens of thousands of spectators, and dozens of other athletes at the Games have tested positive. But organizers have only issued health recommendations, and no restrictions, allowing athletes to compete if they wish and are able to.
This comes in sharp contrast with the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which had to be delayed by a year due to the global pandemic and were held under intense COVID-19 regulations – and no fans allowed at any events. Six months later, the Winter Games in Beijing had even stricter protocols because of China’s zero-tolerance policy.
In Paris, the Olympics recall pre-COVID times. French people have revived the double-cheeked greeting embrace – ‘la bise.’ Fans joyfully reach out at venues to slap athletes´ hands. Masks are rarely seen in crowds of supporters, and people from across the world could come to France without proof of vaccines or negative virus tests.
The World Health Organization said earlier this week that at least 40 athletes at the Olympics had tested positive for the virus, amid growing cases worldwide.
On Thursday night, Lyles was carted off the track in a wheelchair after he finished third in the 200 meters. He then said he had tested positive for COVID two days before.
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