Girma, aged 23, was vying for the lead and had moved into second place when he tripped over a hurdle and landed hard on his back . He remained motionless on the ground until medics at the Stade de France rushed to his aid.
The athlete, who won the silver medal in this event at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, was in a strong position to repeat his success or even go for gold. As Girma was stretchered out of the stadium , fans gave him a standing ovation.
Girma holds the world record for the 3000m men's steeplechase, having clocked a time of 7:52.11 in Paris last year. He also holds the indoor record with a time of 7:23.81, beating the previous best set in 1998 by 1.09 seconds.
Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco defended his title with a time of 8:06.05. Kenneth Rooks claimed another silver medal for Team USA, finishing second, while Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya took bronze.
Despite holding the world record, Girma has never won a gold medal in any championships. The Ethiopian made his professional debut in 2019, aged 19, and won silver at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Girma has bagged silver at the World Championships in both 2022 and 2023, and is tipped to take the athletics world by storm in the coming years. The Ethiopian Olympic Committee is crossing their fingers that Girma's tumble in Paris hasn't left any serious injuries.
It seems the agony Girma experienced was due to the force of the fall, and it looks like he's in for a tough recovery. Medical experts are set to give Girma a thorough check-up to see if there's any additional harm.
Having trained all his life alongside his brothers, Girma has shared how his success in running has filled his parents with immense pride. The runner credits the sport with transforming his existence.
"I love running. The sport has completely changed my life," Girma expressed before the Paris event.
"I run for my name now. The world knows me because of running. It's introduced me to many things and enabled me to travel around the world. Now, I've traveled to so many countries and met many important people. If I didn't start running I wouldn't know these places or have met these people and built those relationships."
Most Popular
Comments / 0