I’m 100% serious in saying that if this happened to me mid-race I wouldn’t leave the track without punching someone. For better or worse, I get heated during any competition, but to have a race completely handcuffed by some dickbag on the infield practicing is beyond unacceptable.
If you’re wondering what exactly happened, there’s a longer version of the video here on SBNation where you can see how it all played out, but in the meantime, I’ll explain to you what went down…What tripped up that runner was a practice bar used by pole vaulters. Unlike the rigid bar that’s used during pole vaulting competition, the practice bar is designed to pop off easily and not impede the athlete in any way. Only in this instance the practice bar went flying and tripped up a runner down the final stretch of a race.
Thankfully for the runner who got tripped up and finished in second, this was just a Heat, and not the final. So that runner still advanced to later rounds of competition by finishing second.
Let’s watch that insane action once more in animated GIF, shall we?
I don’t know how that runner kept his cool. I’d have stopped, removed the rope/practice bar from my legs, and charged whoever fucked up the race. I’m getting angry just thinking about it.