An unexpected guest has stepped on the track during the first round of women’s 400-meter hurdles in the U.S Olympic Trials. Track and field fans have been left breathless, not just by strong contenders and performances, but rather by a bizarre incident. As the 400-meter hurdles event unfolded, a critical malfunction in NBC’s trackside camera system added an extra layer of thrill to the event. Thrill might be a stretch, but life threatening may be more like it.

While the athletes have already graced the tracks and are fighting for their position in the semi-final roster, the trackside camera system sent a wheel careening precariously onto the track and we have video proof of the same. Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad and Rachel Glenn’s hard-earned bids for Olympic glory were almost overshadowed by the wheel. However, fortunately, it missed the athletes, leaving spectators stunned.

Dalilah Muhammad and Rachel Glenn dodge drama as NBC camera disrupts women’s 400m hurdles at U.S. Olympic Trials 

After the first round of the women’s 400-meter hurdle, a video clip has been posted in X where the bizarre scenario can be witnessed. The rogue wheel of the NBC camera rolled perilously close to the runners, almost skirting the feet of Muhammad. And in an event that would decide the fate and chance of the athletes aiming for Olympic glory, such a disruption could have spelled disaster. However, luck played out well for Dalilah Muhammad and Rachel Glenn. Displaying an epitome of concentration, the athletes navigated the unexpected obstacle with remarkable agility, with their eyes fixed on the finish line. An X post by Pole Vault Power showcased the moment in 4k and it has certainly scared the bejesus out of fans.

Both Dalilah Muhammad and Rachel Glenn have made it under the roster for the semi-finals of the Women’s 400-meter hurdles in the U.S. Paris Olympics Trials. Muhammad qualified, ending in fifth position, clocking a time of 55.51 seconds. While Glenn qualified in 55.03 seconds in fourth position. The leading names of the event were Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who crossed the finish line first in 53.07 seconds, followed by Anna Cockrell and Shamier Little in 54.71 and 54.93 seconds, respectively. As the dust settled and the race came to an end, a collective sigh of relief rippled through the crowd and hearts of spectators. Fans were rabble rousers, though, and chimed in on the technical farrago.

Fans share their two cents as rogue wheel adds drama to women’s 400m hurdles at U.S. Olympic trials

But the clip also left netizens and fans gasping as they could speculate how majorly such a myriad factor could have affected the outcome. One track enthusiast could not believe what they exactly witnessed on the screen as the event was live telecasted. They likely assumed a technical glitch in their broadcast rather than an actual incident on the field. Reflecting disbelief, the fan commented, “I thought there was something wrong with my stream!”.

One netizen wanted to bring this incident to the notice of NBC. Referring to the malfunctioning, the user humorously added, “@NBCSports @NBCOlympics Y’all better tighten those screws! 😭”. The fan asked NBC to ensure their equipment is secure to prevent such dangerous incidents.

One fan shared an opinion that Dalilah Muhammad has already been facing challenges in her Olympic journey. And over that, she narrowly avoided disaster from the rogue wheel. In the context, one fan added, “somebody need to take that hex off Dalilah”

Witnessing the absurd incident, one fan exclaimed, “😱 oh nahhhh”. Another user added an opinion that such scenarios prove the fact that USATF should modify their rules to allow finals to be re-run in case of significant disruptions. “Oh hey, an *actual* example of why it makes sense for USATF to have a rule on the books that allows finals to be re-run”, added the fan. Now, with all this said and done, NBC will now be extra cautious of not letting history repeat and potentially endangering athletes in the process.