- The Eritrean runner led the field around the 2,000-meter mark of the race
- She then tripped, put her hand to her face and appeared to spit on the tracks before coming out
- Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet won gold, while Britain’s Megan Keith was overtaken
This is the bizarre moment Rahel Daniel, who led the women’s 10,000m final at the Olympics, ‘wanders off the field’ midway through the race in Paris.
The Eritrean runner was leading the long-distance race under the artificial lights of the Stade de France when she inexplicably decided to run off the track, allowing her rivals to catch up.
Daniel seemed to feel good at the 2,000m stage of the race and led Japan’s Rino Goshima.
Then something strange happened when the athlete walked off the track as she entered the final straight, around the eighth minute of the race.
The incident appears to have occurred when Daniel stumbled slightly, brought her hand to her face and spat on the track.
This is the bizarre moment Rahel Daniel, who led the women’s 10,000m final at the Olympics, ‘wanders off’ mid-race
The Eritrean runner led the way in the long-distance event under the floodlights at the Stade de France
Japan’s Rino Goshima took over the lead from Daniel, but quickly dropped back in the rankings
The runner then broke away from the rest of the pack, much to the surprise of the packed venue at the Stade de France.
Shortly after, she attempted to leave the stadium, but Olympic officials stopped her and forced her to walk along the side of the track.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet eventually won the gold medal in a slow 10,000m final after Goshima had dropped back in the standings.
The reason for Daniels’ departure from the race has not yet been confirmed, but the race took place on a particularly humid night in the French capital.
Steve Cram said on BBC One: ‘This is a phenomenal athlete [Chebet]. A world record holder and now two-time Olympic champion.
‘In the end, she had to work hard for it.’
Meanwhile, Team GB’s Megan Keith had a tough race behind her and was visibly emotional as she finally crossed the finish line.
She was consoled by her teammate Eilish McColgan, who finished in 15th place, and cheered on by the crowd as she completed her first event in a British vest.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet eventually won the gold medal in a slow final of the 10,000 meters
Meanwhile, Team GB’s Megan Keith had endured a tough race and looked visibly emotional as she finally crossed the finish line
She was consoled by her teammate Eilish McColgan (left), who finished in 15th place
Daniel from Eritrea was not the only runner to drop out halfway through the 10,000m race. Alessia Zarbo from France also had to leave the race after a fall. The incident left concerned supporters at home in shock.
Daniel from Eritrea went into the race with high expectations after finishing fifth in the event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Despite her mysterious early elimination, reaching the final saw the athlete improve on her performance at the Tokyo Games three years ago, when she narrowly missed out in the semi-finals – that time in the 5,000 metres.
