Abbey D’Agostino made news headlines on August 16 when she helped New Zealander Nikki Hamblin up from the track after the two collided into each other during the 5,000-meter semifinal round. While Nikki could have jumped to her feet and caught up with the pack, she instead helped Abbey off the ground and made sure that she also finished the race.
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“I was like, ‘Yup, yup, you’re right”. “That girl is the Olympic spirit right there”, Hamblin said later. The two ran the last mile then embraced at the finish line. I’ve never met her before.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The 5,000-meter runner whose act of friendship captured the Olympic spirit will not return to the track in Rio after tearing ligaments in her knee. And isn’t that just so awesome.
Olympian Abbey D’Agostino has credited her faith in God for the way she stopped to help a fellow competitor who fell down during the 5,000m qualifier in Rio on Tuesday. D’Agostino recovered quickly and extended her hand to Hamblin who was just lying on the tracks, crying.
The athletes continued the race.
The incident began about 3km (1.9 miles) into the 5km race, when D’Agostino and Hamblin collided and they both went down. “That’s an incredible moment”.
“There was about 2k to go, I was still feeling controlled, and was mentally preparing to focus and maintain contact with the lead group for the final grind”, D’Agostino said in a statement posted by USA Track and Field. That girl shaking my shoulder, (saying) “come on, get up'”.
Hamblin was left in tears but the pair encouraged each other to continue, despite D’Agostino visibly limping.
Grimacing, she refused to give up, though, running almost half the race with the injury. Obviously, she did pretty much the opposite of that, and the world got to see the kind of person she is.
Olympic officials have chose to take exception to the two runners, stating that both Hamblin and D’Agnostino would return in Friday’s upcoming race. Later, doctors discovered a torn ACL and strained MCL in her right knee.
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“I’ve never met this girl before”, Hamblin said, according to the New York Daily News. “When someone asks me what happened in Rio in twenty years” time, that’s my story…
