- The men’s 5000m heats kicked off at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday
- The first heat concluded controversially with four runners colliding and falling
- The second heat was also chaotic as a cameraman interfered with the race
The men’s 5000m heats at the Paris Olympics witnessed further disruptions on Wednesday as a cameraman inadvertently obstructed the athletes during one of the races.
The heats have already been dramatic, with four competitors, including Team GB’s George Mills — son of former England footballer Danny — falling during the final straight of heat one.
Mills was racing strong until an encounter with France’s Hugo Hay led to his fall, prompting an animated confrontation with Hay at the finish, where Mills ultimately placed 18th.
In the second heat, chaos ensued again as competitors entered the final four laps.
As the runners approached the straightaway, a misinformed cameraman strolled across the track, oblivious to the ongoing race.
The 5000m heats at the Olympics faced more disruption as a cameraman interrupted a race
As the runners took the turn for the straight, a rogue cameraman was walking across the track
He seemed blissfully unaware of what was happening as the athletes ran straight past him
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (sixth runner from back in the blue shorts and white top) was left furious by the bizarre incident and angrily gestured towards the cameraman as he ran past
He appeared completely stunned as the competitors rushed past him, nearly resulting in a collision.
Carrying his camera equipment, the cameraman quickly realized his mistake and managed to avoid a serious pile-up on the track, as numerous athletes swerved to avoid him.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen was among the angry runners, gesturing towards the cameraman as he sped by.
During this odd occurrence, it seemed the cameraman was distracted by the women’s javelin qualifying happening at the same time, marking another significant oversight by the Paris Olympic organizers.
Ingebrigtsen ultimately won his heat, with Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary and Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli finishing in the top three, as only one runner fell during the race.
Earlier, in the heat where Mills fell after a collision, he confronted Hay at the finish line.
They were seen arguing and making physical contact, with Mills vehemently pointing at Hay, expressing his frustration during an interview with the BBC shortly after.
‘It’s pretty clear,’ Mills stated. ‘I was about to make my move down the home straight when the French guy took me down.’
The actions of the cameraman were so close to causing a damaging collision on the track
Jakob Ingebrigtsen was furious with the cameraman before he went on to win the race
When asked what he said to Hay during their confrontation, Mills replied: ‘I’m probably not allowed to say.’
When queried about speaking with officials, he added: ‘I haven’t seen anyone yet, but I’m confident that BA (British Athletics) will be addressing it with an appeal, I hope.’
‘From my viewpoint, the race was ideal for me; I went through the first 2k in six minutes.
‘I thought, “Nobody in this field could outrun me at this speed”, so I was just waiting, planning my kick for the home straight, and then bam, I hit the ground. What can you do?’
Mills was later successful in his appeal and secured a place in the 5000m final.
