USA's Kenneth Rooks wins silver, Lamecha Girma stretchered off after fall in 3000m Steeplechase
![kenneth rooks](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=417,width=795,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/08/07152134/kenneth-rooks.png)
USA track and field Olympian Kenneth Rooks won a silver medal in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase on Wednesday in a dramatic finish. Ethiopian athlete Lamecha Girma, the world record holder in the event, suffered a scary fall while attempting to jump over a hurdle.
He hit the ground as the other runners jumped past him as he lied there in pain. He eventually had to be stretchered off the track as a result of the injury.
All the while, Rooks continued to push ahead in the race and held a lead for a few moments on the final lap. Eventually Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali pulled ahead to win gold for the second time in the Olympics after he also claimed it at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
You can view the moment where Girma fell and the finish from Rooks below.
Kenneth Rooks was at one point at the back of the pack before making significant strides over the final lap to gain an advantage. He continued to push forward and at one point even looked on his way to the gold medal before being passed.
El Bakkali ended up winning by a mere 0.36 seconds in what was a tight finish. Rooks still beat his personal best by almost 9 seconds to capture the second silver over three Olympics in the event for the United States, and only the third medal in the steeplechase in the last 100 years.
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Lamecha Girma taken to hospital, conscious following scary fall during Men’s 3000m Steeplechase, per report
Ethiopian runner Lamecha Girma regained consciousness before being taken to a hospital for the fall he took during the men’s 3,000-meter Steeplechase at the Paris Olympics, according to multiple French outlets. Girma took a hard fall while attempting to clear a barrier on the backside of the final lap.
The 23-year-old was running down the back straightaway when he leaped to clear the hurdle, according to The Athletic. Girma seemed to clip the barrier with his right knee and fell onto his upper body. Peacock broadcast commentator Leigh Diffey noted minutes later that Girma was motionless. He was later seen carried off the track on a stretcher while wearing a neck brace.
“In 40 years of commentating running and the steeplechase, I have never seen a fall that heavy,” Diffey said before signing off.
It was a very tough break for Girma who was looking to win his second Olympic medal. He competed in the same event at the Tokoyo Olympics and won the silver medal. Girma currently holds the world record in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase with a time of 7:52.11.