It was good news to hear from the national federation of the African country, offering a positive prognosis for one of its stars, Lamecha Girma. The promising 23-year-old runner arrived in Paris with high hopes after winning silver in the same event, the 3,000-metre steeplechase, at Tokyo 2020.

However, it’s worth noting that Girma’s obsession was real. With five silver medals in the past five years in the World Championships, the desire for gold was beginning to weigh on the young African’s mind.

This time, his start was truly promising. Paris seemed to hint that the silver medallist could break through that psychological barrier and be crowned as the new leader in athletics.

However, on the final lap, an accident abruptly ended that dream, at least for the next four years. The fall was dramatic and deprived him of what was practically a guaranteed medal. In the end, taking advantage of the situation, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, 28, claimed the gold and retained the Olympic title he won in Tokyo 2020.

Struggling on the ground, Girma was quickly evacuated with his neck secured by a brace and received medical attention at the stadium until he easily and luckily regained consciousness.

"Our thoughts are with him, and we send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian National Olympic Committee to stay informed about his condition," commented the Games Organizing Committee in a recent statement.

At the hospital, taking no risks, the world record holder in the steeplechase stayed at Pitié Salpêtrière until the morning when his country's Olympic Committee revealed that he was "in good shape." ITG also wishes a speedy recovery to athlete Lamecha Girma. Now, it is time to calmly recover and get back on track, without pausing but without rushing, to fight for that gold in the future.