Did Abby d just tear her acl?

It was live, but you could not see the knee buckle like that until the slo-mo reply. Yikes.

Abbey was already injured prior to the race (not sure if that was ever announced publicly?). I wonder if that made things worse. She hasn't been able to train recently so this may have been her only shot of making it into the finals anyways.

I saw her run 15 x 400 three days before she headed to RIO, so if she was hurt, she was hiding it well.

Live on NBCSN this morning, but it was just at right edge of the TV screen. They showed a replay with a better view, and I replayed it a few times. Here is what I saw.

1. The large trailing pack catches up to a lapped runner, with runners passing on both the inside and outside to get around her.

2. LaCaze (AUS) and Onishi (JAP) trade elbows as LaCaze shoots forward and to the inside rail to pass the slower runner. I think this caused Onishi to slow down just a bit to allow LaCaze to move in front of her.

3. Hamblin catches the left foot of Onishi with her left foot while the above is happening and she falls immediately. Onishi stumbles, but stays on her feet.

4. Abbey has no time to react, and Hamblin actually rolls to her right hitting Abbey's right leg, causing Abbey's right knee to buckle.

Hutchins said on the live feed that Abbey clipped Hamblin from behind. That's not what happened, and I hope he corrects himself, if he hasn't already.

Hard to tell given I was watching on my computer but my initial thought was that Hamblin hit the inside rail with her foot and this caused her to fall.

Soooooo, do we know how the MRI results turned out yet? Mark and Abbey, get on twitter and seize the PR moment!

I hope Abbey is okay, but if she did not tear the MCL it is a miracle.

I thought it was an IAAF rule that lapped runners had to move out. Don't some meets require athletes to leave the track? This happened I the men's race as well.

Watched it about 30 times online now and AD did not trip the NZ runner. AD had nowhere to go when the NZ runner fell. I am 100% with the detailed recount of the situation a few posts up.

NZ runner hit her head really hard, which is probably why she didn't hop back up, and AD took a chunk out of her lower butt with her spikes.

The second wobble of AD's leg is hard to watch. Her knee looks really bad.

She is tougher than nails and I am proud she is an american.

I also do not blame the NZ runner, though. When the group went to pass the slow runner, it really messed up the back of the pack. People were going all over the place.

I don't think the slow runner DNFed, did she? Isn't she the one that put her arm around the NZ runner after they finished? If that was her, it kind of explains the NZ runner's response.

I am watching the NBC re-stream online with no commentary, and it shows everything numerous times.

Chugged a Citrus Cooler wrote:

I don't think the slow runner DNFed, did she? Isn't she the one that put her arm around the NZ runner after they finished? If that was her, it kind of explains the NZ runner's response.

I am watching the NBC re-stream online with no commentary, and it shows everything numerous times.

Fairly certain that was Taher getting lapped, and she has a DNF by her name.

Nikki Hamblin seems to be making a habit out of kissing the track. Fell over in London, and at WC. Might not be so innocent after all.

No shortcuts wrote:

Chugged a Citrus Cooler wrote:

I don't think the slow runner DNFed, did she? Isn't she the one that put her arm around the NZ runner after they finished? If that was her, it kind of explains the NZ runner's response.

I am watching the NBC re-stream online with no commentary, and it shows everything numerous times.

https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxi-olympic-games-5771/results/women/5000-metres/heats/result#resultheader

Fairly certain that was Taher getting lapped, and she has a DNF by her name.

Just watched the NBC re-stream. While Taher acts as if she has finished the race, she appears to have stopped one lap short, thus the DNF. Hamblin was a lap up on Taher when she fell. Even with the fall, there is no way Taher would have finished in front of Hamblin.

NickBC wrote:

move over, Derek Redmond....

there's a new sheriff in town, and her name is Abby D.

Final or not, this girl has NO idea how famous she is going to be after the telecast tonite.

Stones, Abby. Pure stones.

Yea, Abbey just went from finishing, at best, mid-pack in the finals, to being an all-time legend for Olympic courage and sportsmanship. On the podium with Derek Redmond and Kerri Strug.

Thank you!

And Quick Take #1 should be taught in high school and a rule in all races. Unbelievable in pro races and Olympics watching runners having to go around slower runners hugging the rail.

joho wrote:

Letsrun.com wrote:

We have a story up here with photos.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/08/abbey-dagostino-nikki-hamblin-show-true-meaning-olympics-almaz-ayana-leads-womens-5000-qualifiers/

It will be updated with more info in a few minutes.

That was the most God-awful recount of what happened that I have seen.

Plowed into from behind by Abby? There are pictures right there in your article that says otherwise. Hamblin was well on her way down to the track before Abby ever got to her.

yeah you guys need to edit the article. that's clearly not what happened.

Bleu wrote:

I thought it was an IAAF rule that lapped runners had to move out. Don't some meets require athletes to leave the track? This happened I the men's race as well.

There are no IAAF rules that discussed lapped runners.

There are USATF and NCAA rules that say that lapped runners should stay in their natural course and that it is up to meet umpires decide if lapped runners can stay in the race.

I wish I could use excuses like that at my job.

Thanks for pointing this out. I've re-watched the replay on TIVO and you are correct. We have edited the article.

In the future, if you see a mistake, please email us as well at

Great work Rojo. I appreciate the coverage and the quick takes. Now if only there was a way to go back and fix NBC, USA Today, and all the other outlets that are parroting Hutchings saying Abbey rammed her from behind.

It\'s clear from watching the video that the Aussies dodging the slow-poke impede Onishi, who stutters and bumps Hamblin inside where she steps on the rail, goes down hard and gets stepped on by Abbey D. I usually hate those dramatic and emotional moments of courage (cough-Montano-cough) but seeing what her knee did, and hearing how she helped get Hamblin going again, I\'m actually moved. D\'Agostino gained a fan today.