Lamecha Girma's coach shares an update after "horrific fall" in the 3000m steeplechase final at the Paris Olympics

Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia was competing in the men's 3000m steeplechase finals in a quest for his first Olympic gold medal after winning the silver in Tokyo. Tragedy struck Girma in the final lap of the race with less than 250m to go for the finish line when he hit the hurdle and fell hurting his neck as the athletes picked up their pace for the final kick.

The fall had a huge impact as the Ethiopian remained motionless before being carried out by the medical team in a stretcher. The fall left fans and enthusiasts worried about the Girma's condition. Soon Paris Olympics released an official statement and said:

“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.”

A couple of hours later, as reported by Ethiopian media, Lamecha Girma's coach spoke about his condition and said:

"Lamecha Girma is in good condition.”

Girma regained consciousness after he was attended by the medical team and is currently stable, as reported by the French newspaper L'Équipe.

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Lamecha Girma on breaking the 3000m steeplechase world record

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In 2023, Lamecha Girma broke the 3000m and the 3000m steeplechase world records within four months. After breaking the 3000m world record on February 15, 2023, with a time of 7:23.81, he went on to break the 3000m steeplechase world record at the Meeting de Paris on June 9, 2023.

He spoke about breaking the world record in an interview with Citius Mag and said:

"Before breaking the record, I could only think about breaking the record! I was telling the journalists there that I would break the record so I had to be thinking about breaking the record all day. In a way, that added some pressure. But because I said it aloud I knew I must do it. Then, when I broke it I was of course happy but also relieved. Because I had been talking about it so much it was like a weight had been lifted."

Furthermore, the athlete also opened up about how running changed his life by giving him the opportunity to travel the world and meet important people.