Chaos on the Track: Olympic 5,000m Runners Tangle and Fall but Advance to Finals
In a dramatic turn of events during the men’s 5,000m heats at the 2024 Olympics, four athletes were involved in a chaotic tangle and fall just 100 meters from the finish line. Despite the incident, all four runners were granted a place in the final.
As the race neared its climax, with only the top eight finishers from each heat advancing to the final, the competition intensified. British runner George Mills attempted to surge between France’s Hugo Hay and Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, sparking the chain reaction that would send multiple athletes tumbling to the ground.
In the heat of the moment on August 7, it appeared that Hugo Hay’s arm movement may have caused Mills to lose his balance, veering him into Ndikumwenayo. Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu, representing the Refugee Team, was sprinting on the outside and got caught up in the mix, leading to a mass collision. As Mills, Ndikumwenayo, and Lobalu hit the track, Lobalu’s legs tangled with those of Dutch runner Mike Foppen, bringing him down as well.
Among the athletes caught up in the incident, only Hay managed to stay on his feet, securing a seventh-place finish and a spot in the final. Meanwhile, Lobalu finished 15th, Mills 18th, and Foppen came in last at 19th. Ndikumwenayo, appearing to suffer an injury, did not finish the race.
After crossing the finish line, Mills confronted Hay, accusing him of causing the pile-up. The confrontation saw some finger-pointing and shoving as tensions flared. Speaking to the BBC afterward, Mills said, “I was making my final push for the finish when suddenly the French guy knocked me down. I can’t share what was said between us.”
Officials reviewed the video footage and decided that the four fallen runners had been disadvantaged by the incident. As a result, they were all granted a place in the final, scheduled for August 10. Hay was also cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to advance.
Adding to the chaos, a cameraman carrying equipment inadvertently wandered onto the track during the race, cutting across the path of the runners. Fortunately, he quickly realized his mistake and stepped back, avoiding a potential collision with the speeding athletes.
