The drama unfolded when D’Agostino clipped Hamblin with around 2,000m to go, sending both sprawling to the ground.
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D’Agostino, who was raised in a Catholic family, got back on her feet nearly immediately, but rather than continuing the race, stopped to help Hamblin up. When someone asks me what happened in Rio in 20 years time, that is my story.
“And I’m like ‘Okay, yep, yep, you’re right, it’s the Olympic Games, we have to finish this”. This is the Olympic Games. “This whole time here, he’s made clear to me that my experience in Rio was going to be about more than my race performance – and as soon as Nikki got up I knew that was it”.
3,000 meters into the dash, New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin took a nasty step and tumbled to the ground, bringing the United States’ Abbey D’Agostino down with her on accident. “And suddenly there’s this hand on my shoulder, like ‘get up, get up, we have to finish this!’ I’m so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me”. “That girl is the Olympic spirit right there”.
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. In a statement Wednesday, she said she had known all along that her trip to Rio de Janerio was going to be more about her race performance, and as soon as Hamblin got up after the fall, her goal for being in Brazil was clear. Rather, she sacrificed her race and turned around to help the prone New Zealander. “I can’t even put into words how unbelievable it is that she actually finished”. “I told her to get up, dust herself off, have a quick look around and then get right back to running”.
However, since the collision that caused the American’s injury was an accident, she will still be able to compete in the finals on Friday. “They’ll be a recovery period but I think in a year from now there’s a very good chance she’ll be back as good as she ever was”. D’Agostino eventually had to stop because of her knee, but Hamblin returned to help her to the finish.
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Their moment on the track has been shared around the world on mainstream and social media, the pair spending much of the following day obligingly fulfilling interview requests.
