Olympic Runner Hospitalized After Falling in 3000m Steeplechase Final

Lamecha Girma of Team Ethiopia. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Ethiopian runner Lamecha Girma was hospitalized after his brutal fall during the men’s 3000m steeplechase final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“We understand he is in good shape, and he is OK, he is recovering,” the International Olympic Committee shared in a statement to The Guardian on Thursday, August 8.

During the last lap of the race, which took place on Wednesday, August 7, the 23-year-old Girma tripped over the final hurdle and briefly rolled over on the track as the other runners finished the race. (Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkal took the gold medal while Team USA’s Kenneth Rooks got silver. Kenyan runner Abraham Kibiwot won the bronze medal.)

While the race concluded, paramedics rushed to the track for Girma, who appeared to be knocked unconscious by the fall. He was carried away on a stretcher and was given a neck brace. Girma reportedly gained consciousness as he was taken to the hospital.

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“Following his fall in the 3000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate care from the on-site medical teams,” a statement from an Olympics spokesperson read, according to multiple outlets. “Our thoughts are with him, and we are sending our very best wishes for a swift recovery. Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay updated on his condition.”

WOW!

Kenneth Rooks just won SILVER in the men’s 3000m steeplechase in a STUNNER. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/PIM2gcvY47

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024

During Peacock’s live broadcast of the event, commentator Leigh Diffey weighed in on the fall.

“In 40 years of commentating running and the steeplechase, I have never seen a fall that heavy,” he told viewers on Wednesday.

Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia is stretchered from the track after falling in the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase final. Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Later that day, Girma’s team issued a statement updating fans on the athlete’s health. (Chris Chavez, Citrus Magazine founder and track and field reporter, has been sharing messages regarding Girma’s medical status via X.)

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“After a full examination during the night, it has been confirmed that Lamecha Girma doesn’t suffer from any major head injury,” they shared. “He will undergo further scans to check his leg before being allowed to leave the hospital. Thank you to the French medical team and to all of you for your support.”

Before returning for the Paris Games, Girma made his Olympic steeplechase debut in Tokyo, where he took home a silver medal. (El Bakkal, now 28, won gold.)