Lamecha Girma, a world record holder, and Ethiopian Olympic athlete lost his dream of winning the Olympics men’s 3000-meter steeplechase final on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Girma, who is a gold medal hopeful at the event, tripped during the final lap and fell dangerously on the hard floor of the tracks. In the end, he had to leave the tracks on a stretcher and in a neck brace.
Lamecha Girma was arguably the biggest gold medal prospect for the East African nation of Ethiopia. He won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men’s steeplechase 3000 meters. In addition, he won medals at the 2019, 2022, and 2023 World Athletics Championships.
In January 2023, he beat the world record for the indoor version of the sporting event. His fall was a pretty disappointing one for Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa. The nation, which is one of the global heavyweights in long-distance racing, had high hopes for his participation.
Lamech Girma was born on November 26, 2000, in the Asella town of central Ethiopia. His parents were farmers and most of his nine siblings are also runners. In fact, Lamech Girma’s oldest brother, Fikedu Girma, coached him for some years.
He began representing his nation in 2019 at the under-20 level. Just before the unfortunate incident at the event’s final race, he had clinched first place at the August 5 heat with a time of 8: 23.89.
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Lamecha Girma’s Frightening Fall
The Ethiopian hero was at the head of the pack of runners as they ran the last lap of the event. Everyone was anxious to see what would happen in this decisive moment. As Lamecha Girma made to scale a hurdle on his path, the unexpected happened.
As he lifted his left leg, he tipped the hurdle and crashed to the floor. Interestingly, the problematic barrier was the last one.
His fall was pretty horrific. He landed hard with his head on the track and lay motionless, throwing the stadium into panic. According to reports, as a result of the fall, the 23-year-old world record holder immediately slipped into unconsciousness.
Reaction of the On-Site Medical Teams
Within seconds, the on-site medical teams sprang into action. They raced onto the track to attend to the athlete, who was lying prone on his stomach. According to a statement from Paris 2024 on the incident, “Following his fall in the 3000 meters steeplechase, Lamech Girma received medical care from the on-site medical teams.”
Furthermore, the organizers stated, “Our thoughts are with him, and we are sending him our very best wishes for a swift recovery. Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay updated on his condition”
The four-person medical team shifted his body to a safer position. They lifted his head carefully to place the brace around his neck. Thereafter, they moved him onto a stretcher and took him out of the stadium.
Thankfully, and to the relief of his team and everyone, he regained consciousness some minutes later. He was also able to communicate with the medics as they moved him away.
Who Won After Lamecha Girma Fell?
The other athletes, helpless in the circumstances, leaped over his body as they crossed the hurdle and made for the finish line. A short while after, a winner emerged. It was Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, Girma’s fiercest rival in the competition. Bakkali was the reigning Olympics champion after clinching the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics ahead of Girma.
Bakkali crossed the finish line in a time of 8:06.05. Afterward, he reacted to the unfortunate incident. “We regret that one of the athletes fell in this steeplechase final. The athlete from Ethiopia,” he said. “It is unfortunate that it happened. There was respect in the competition among the athletes,” he added.
The United States’ Kenneth Rooks was next to cross the line and clinch the silver medal. He also made some comments about the fall. “I didn’t know how bad his fall was. I didn’t know who fell until after the race,” he stated. “I will keep him in my prayers,” he added. Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot won the bronze medal in the race.
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Lamecha Girma’s Current Condition
After the medics removed Lamecha Girma from the stadium, they transported him to the Pitié Salpêtrière hospital for additional assessment. According to recent reports from French journalists, Girma is responding well to treatment and is getting close to recovery.
A photo that his coaching team posted of Girma on the hospital bed has gone viral on social media. The photo has also gone a long way in calming the fears of well-wishers, especially his fellow countrymen. One of the photos posted on X (formerly Twitter) had the caption, “Coach Teshome Kebede said ‘Lamecha Girma is in good condition.’”
Lamecha Girma World Record
Despite the unfortunate fall, the Lamecha Girma world record, which he set on June 8, 2023, is very much intact. Interestingly, he set the record in the Diamond League in Paris, the venue of this edition of the Olympics. The multiple Olympic runner finished the race with a time of 7:52 ’11.
The record is more than one and a half seconds ahead of the former record, which remained unbeaten for 19 years. One of Girma’s objectives in this competition was to go beyond winning the gold medal and beating his record. Unfortunately, if he must perform the feat at the Olympics, he will have to wait four more years to fulfill his dream.
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