“By far the best part of my experience of the Olympics has been the community it creates, what the Games symbolizes”, D’Agostino said, in a written statement.
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Despite encountering a massive hurdle on Tuesday’s event, runners Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin showed the world just what it meant to be an Olympian. And to think, it all started with an accident.
Shelby Houlihan (Sioux City, Iowa) will represent Team USA after taking fourth in her qualifying race on Tuesday.
USA Track and Field announced on Wednesday morning that D’Agostino suffered a “complete tear of her right ACL, a meniscus tear and a strained MCL”.
Unfortunately, because of D’Agostino’s injury, she will not get one more moment in the spotlight to showcase her talents. Hamblin finished after 16 minutes and 43 minutes, while D’Agostino eventually finished after 17 minutes and 10 seconds, more than two minutes after the victor of the heat, Almaz Ayana, from Ethiopia.
She waited at the finish line where they shared a hug. Like I never met this girl before. “And isn’t that just so awesome?” Such an awesome woman.
The US athlete and New Zealander Nikki Hamblin were lauded for embodying true Olympic spirit after Hamblin fell during the race, tripping up D’Agostino. Hamblin helped D’Agostino to her feet and stayed back with her for a bit to try to keep her going before moving on to finish the race. Both runners continued to finish the race, and both qualified for the final.
Suddenly this hand was on my shoulder, like, “Get up, get up, we have to finish this” and I was like, ‘Yup, yup, you’re right.
“Someone had to go help her”, Hamblin said of her act, “And if I could even give her one per cent back of what she gave me when she helped me get off the track, that would be awesome”. “So it was not surprising at all to see someone else going down, and at the same time, (Abbey’s) first instinct was to help that person up”. She was pretty bad. When someone asks me what happened in Rio in 20 years time, that is my story. It wasn’t long before Miz D’Agostino had to completely stop, which is when her knee buckled underneath her.
Hamblin had nothing but good wishes for her fellow runner.
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On her way down, Miz Hamblin also caused Abbey to come crashing to the track.
