In June 2023, Ethiopian 3000m steeplechase runner Lamecha Girma registered a world record—a 7:52.11 clocking time at the Paris Diamond League. But, in a sad turn of fate, on those very Parisian tracks, Girma had to witness his dream of the first Olympic gold medal slipping away after he keeled over in the final lap of the 3000m steeplechase final on Wednesday. Medics arrived soon after, rushed to put on a neck brace while his eyes were still open, and stretchered him off the tracks.

Girma, who had posted the world-leading time of 8:01.63 in 2024, won Heat 3 of Round 1 with 8:23.89, securing his spot in the final. Challenging him for the gold were Mohamed Tindouft, Kenneth Rooks, and Girma’s arch-rival Soufiane El Bakkali, all of whom had a strong performance in the heats. The 23-year-old was running down the back straightaway when he jumped to clear the last hurdle. At this point, Girma appeared to clip the hurdle with his trailing right knee and fell hard on the track on his back first.

From there, he was seen rolling onto his stomach as the other runners moved past him. Minutes later, Peacock commentator Leigh Diffey noted that Girma was motionless. A shocked audience, looking at Girma from a distance, could see his left leg convulsing. “In 40 years of commentating running and the steeplechase, I have never seen a fall that heavy,” Diffey stated on Peacock.

Later on, the French news outlet L’EQUIPE reported that Girma regained his senses in the medical room of the Stade de France and could utter a few words. The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist was then transferred to the Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital (13th arrondissement of Paris) for further examinations.

Later, per The Guardian, Paris 2024 organizers informed: “Following his fall in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate care from the on-site medical teams. Our thoughts are with him and we are sending him our very best wishes for a swift recovery. Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay updated on his condition.”

Chris Chavez of CitiusMag reported an update from Lamecha Girma’s management team regarding his condition as well: “After a full examination during the night, it has been confirmed that Lamecha Girma doesn’t suffer from any major head injury. he will undergo further scans to check his leg before being allowed to leave the hospital. Thank you.”

Girma, coached by his oldest brother Fikadu, came to the Paris Olympics, not only aiming for the Olympic gold but also his first gold in any international competition. Despite being a world record holder, he has only won silver medals in the international competitions till now. Apart from Tokyo, that includes World Championships in 2019, 2022, and 2023. One formidable opponent he has been unable to overcome in the event is Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco. In the wake of Girma’s misfortune, Bakkali did not let go of the opportunity to successfully defend an Olympic steeplechase title for the first time, a feat last recorded in the 1936 Games by Finland’s Volmari Iso-Hollo in Berlin.

It must have been heartbreaking for Girma, who was in a diagonally opposite pole in Paris last year. On that edition of Diamond League, Girma took down Saif Saaeed Shaheen’s 3000m steeplechase world record, which stood since 2004. “I’m feeling so happy. Happy and very proud. I felt so fast during the race, so confident. The world record is not a surprise. I planned to beat it tonight in Paris,” he had said after the race.

The audience, athletes, and officials were left in a state of shock and deep concern as they watched the dramatic unfolding of events. In the wake of Girma’s heartbreaking fall, Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco seized the opportunity, claiming his second Olympic gold!

Girma’s arch-rival seizes the chance, USA’s Kenneth Rooks makes history

At the Paris Olympics, Soufiane El Bakkali clinched victory in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:06.05, defending his gold from the Tokyo Olympics. Alongside, this was also his fourth consecutive global gold and sixth straight global medal in the event. The gold also makes him the first man to successfully defend an Olympic steeplechase title since Volmari Iso-Hollo of Finland did so at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

This Moroccan powerhouse has been making waves on the global stage since he was 21, and he showed no signs of slowing down. Earlier, he had breezed through Round 1, Heat 1, with a solid 8:17.90.

Hot on his heels was Kenneth Rooks from the USA, who delivered an impressive personal best of 8:06.41 to grab the silver. The bronze went to Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot with a season-best 8:06.47. But it was Rooks’ audacious final lap that also had fans gasping. The BYU grad made a bold move, surging past the leaders with 400 meters to go and almost snatching the gold away from El Bakkali.

In a nail-biting finish, Rooks fell just 0.36 seconds short of the Moroccan’s gold-winning time. His performance was nothing short of legendary, catapulting him to the eighth-best 3K steeplechase time in U.S. history and making him the second-fastest American ever, just behind Evan Jager’s 2016 Olympic silver.

On the flip side, Lamecha Girma’s Olympic journey took a somber turn. For the second time, he lost gold to El Bakkali. As we await more updates on Girma’s condition, our thoughts are with him, hoping for a swift and full recovery.