No distance runner at the Paris Olympic Games has been more unlucky than Canada’s Moh Ahmed. On Wednesday morning at the Stade de France, Ahmed fell heading into the final lap of the men’s 5,000m heats, missing out on a spot in the final.
This setback comes just five days after he finished fourth in the men’s 10,000m in Paris, missing a medal by three tenths of a second.
Ahmed was the first of six runners who fell on the final two laps of the first heat of the men’s 5,000m, which several competitors referred to as “pure carnage.” The tactical style of racing, with most of the field having either run the 10,000m or 1,500m earlier in the week, caused the field to become congested.
“There were too many guys there with two laps to go,” said Australia’s Stewart McSweyn, who had to hurdle several athletes in the final 100m. “There was just so much risk for a fall.”
Athletics Canada submitted an appeal for Ahmed to be allowed into the final, but it was denied by World Athletics. The ruling determined that Ahmed was not impeded or jostled before his fall; rather, it was a case of him clipping the heels of another runner as the pace increased with one lap to go.
The incident worked in favour of Quebec’s Thomas Fafard, who secured one of the eight automatic qualifying spots in the final 100m.
Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and PUMA Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.
