Australian athlete Stewart McSweyn found himself amidst the turmoil of the men’s 5000m heats at the Paris Olympics, a race marked by falls, heated exchanges, and a peculiar episode involving a wayward cameraman.
The event has already proven to be highly dramatic, with four competitors, including British runner George Mills—who is the son of former England footballer Danny—collapsing on the final straight of heat one.
Mills was performing well until a clash with France’s Hugo Hay led to his tumble, prompting the GB athlete to confront Hay post-race after finishing in 18th place.
Despite the chaos, McSweyn managed to keep his footing but ultimately did not qualify.
Nevertheless, he has contested the results due to the interference, and the jury has granted him the chance to compete in the final on Sunday morning (AEDT).
‘Olympic final Saturday night,’ McSweyn shared on social media after receiving the news.
In the second heat, an unusual situation unfolded as a pack of runners approached the last four laps.
As the athletes rounded the corner towards the straight, a rogue cameraman casually crossed the track, unaware that he was disrupting the race.
Aussie runner Stewart McSweyn (pictured top, in green and gold) has won his appeal to race in the 5000m final after a chaotic fall during his heat
Several runners hit the deck on the final straight during the first heat, and the shocking scenes prevented the Aussie from setting the time he’s capable of
He appeared utterly astonished as competitors rushed past him, nearly colliding with him in a dangerously chaotic moment.
Carrying his filming gear, the cameraman thankfully recognized his mistake and managed to avoid creating a significant pile-up, though many athletes had to swerve to evade him.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen was among several runners who expressed their frustration, gesturing angrily at the cameraman as he passed.
‘It’s unprofessional,’ Ingebrigtsen later remarked. ‘That should never happen at the Olympics.’
‘I was positioned far enough ahead to catch sight of the situation. He had quite a sizable camera rig. He acknowledged his blunder quickly, yet the damage was done. For some competitors, their race was ruined.’
During this strange episode, it appeared that the cameraman was focusing on the women’s javelin qualifying event occurring simultaneously, adding to what has been another significant misstep by the organizers of the Paris Olympics.
The Aussie star appealed the result due to the carnage, and the jury has allowed him to race in the final on Sunday morning
The 5000m heats at the Olympics faced more disruption as a cameraman interrupted a race
Ingebrigtsen went on to win the heat, with Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary and Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli rounding out the top three, as only one competitor fell during this race.
In the earlier heat, Mills, one of the four unfortunate athletes to fall after a collision, confronted Hay at the finish line.
The two were seen squabbling and engaging in physical contact, with Mills angrily gesturing at Hay, expressing his frustration in an interview with the BBC shortly after.
‘It’s quite evident,’ he stated. ‘I was stepped on just before I was about to accelerate down the home straight, and the French guy took me down.’
When asked about the confrontation, he remarked, ‘I probably can’t repeat what I said.’
When asked if he had spoken to officials, Mills replied: ‘I haven’t encountered anyone yet, but I’m certain British Athletics will act quickly to file an appeal.’
‘From where I stood, that was the ideal qualifying scenario for me, going through the first 2k in six minutes.’
‘I thought, “No one in this field can leave me behind at this speed,” so I was just sitting back, waiting for the right moment to kick off the home straight, then boom, hit the ground. What can you do?
Mills later succeeded in his appeal and secured a spot in the 5000m final.
