A French athlete collapsed during the 50km walk after suffering from stomach trouble – only to get back to his feet and finish the race.
Yohann Diniz, the world record holder in the event, was leading the field in the 45th minute when a camera picked up on him beginning to struggle.
An hour or so later he collapsed to the floor, lying there motionless for a few seconds before dragging himself to his feet and continuing on.
It had been reported by French publication L’Équipe that race favourite Diniz had been suffering from a bad stomach in the lead up to the event.
Shortly afterwards, and with more than a minute’s lead, the athlete collapsed by the roadside, allowing others to pass.
In a moment of solidarity, the man going in to the lead, Canada’s Evan Dunfee, picked up the fallen athlete back to his feet as they continued with the race.
Despite the Frenchman’s best efforts, he finished outside the medal positions, eventually finishing in eighth place.
Diniz has never made it to the podium of a world championships or Olympic Games in 20km, his best performance being a silver medal over 50km at the 2007 world championships.
He had to withdraw from the starting line at Beijing 2008 after feeling pain in both his leg and his stomach.
Four years later his Olympic dream would falter again, after he was disqualified halfway through the race in London for drinking outside of a specified zone.
Despite his bad luck on the world scene, the Frenchman has won the last three 50km walk race events at the European Championships
The incident conjures up memories of when Paula Radcliffe had to stop a few miles away from the finishing line of the London Marathon in 2005.
The Brit went on to win the race but was forced to squat by the side of the road at the 22-mile mark after reacting badly to a dodgy pre-race meal.
Following the race, Paula explained how the unexpectedly pit-stop was an ’embarrassing necessity’.
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