Black On Blonde wrote:
Just watched the footage and yeah, it's a real shame, but can't help but think there's been a bit of a daft social media over-reaction in terms of criticising the response.
This wasn't a mass participation event, it was a very small "elite" (if we're calling the Commonwealth games that) field. It obviously happens on a bridge were there's limited vehicle access. He's still in motion, trying to get back up, pretty much the whole time. Then the officials do actually get to him in what must be 2/3 minutes tops.
Not exactly lying inanimate for half an hour, with flies swarming him, and disinterested locals poking him with a stick as they pass - which reading twitter is what you would have thought had happened...
Who cares about social media informing your thoughts? Basic event planning and medical knowledge should have meant there was a plan in place for dealing with athletes suffering heatstroke, especially in the marathon. Other runners suffered and needed assistance. It is luck there wasn't a worse result. I am somewhat surprised that officials didn't go on motorbike to the lead runner to monitor him before the first fall and pulled him out after that. No-one recovers from heatstroke that severe to win a marathon. His race was over at that stage and officials should be trained to recognise that. It was all played out on live tv and what with modern technology such as radios and motorbikes, race officials and paramedics should have been with him sooner. It was far longer than 2/3 minutes from his first fall (which was already minutes after he started showing signs of distress) to the eventual confused two attendants who were unaware of what had previously taken place and whose concern was to allow him to try and get to his feet to continue without touching him.
Hopefully he will make a full recovery and get over this quickly. But make no mistake, heatstroke can be fatal and there are plenty of instances, people with heatstroke cannot make rational decisions or realise how dangerous their situation is. The guy's a hero (and very hot) and a top class marathon runner. His effort was exceptional.