Hamblin said D’Agostino was the “true Olympic spirit” after the race.
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As New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin competed in the 5,000 meters Tuesday at Rio 2016, she stumbled and fell, accidentally tripping Abbey D’Agostino of the US.
Hamblin stopped to encourage D’Agostino as she limped heavily before continuing to cross the line nearly 27 second in front of her.
And when D’Agostino collapsed again on her way to the finish after they both were up (she’d badly twisted her knee), Hamblin lent her a hand. Like, I’ve never met this girl before. “This is the Olympic Games. We have to finish this, ‘” Nikki said, according to NBC.
“I was like: ‘Yup, you’re right”, Hamblin continued. I mean, that girl is the Olympic spirit right there.
“I’ve never met this girl before, and isn’t that just so wonderful, such an unbelievable woman”, Hamblin told United Kingdom paper The Telegraph. Such an awesome woman.
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.
“I always told her, ‘if you go down, here is what I want you to do, ‘” Coogan said.
It was American Abbey D’Agostino, offering to help. She eventually had to leave D’Agostino behind and was certain that the American would have to stop.
The pair have been praised worldwide for encouraging and helping each other to finish the race.
Hamblin later finished in 29th place, one ahead of D’Agostino who limped across the finish line. “I know that she’s young and she’s going to have so many more opportunities”, she said.
On her way down, Miz Hamblin also caused Abbey to come crashing to the track.
Abbey D’Agostino of U.S. and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand collided at the 3km mark on the track and both the athletes went down, reports BBC. This time, it was D’Agostino who was in tears and she was taken out of the stadium in a wheelchair.
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Initially it looked as if both women, and a third runner involved in the collision – Jennifer Wenth of Austria – had failed to qualify for the final.
