Notable Team GB athlete slammed as he confronts rival on track in heated clash after shocking accident
Kya Buller
Featured Image Credit: BBC
Drama is unfolding at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as Team GB's George Mills fell over while rushing to the finish line during the first men's 5000m heat, with three other athletes also ending up on the floor.
The Olympic runners collided and it led Mills to feel so furious, he rushed to confront France's Hugo Hay after leaving the finish line, pointing a finger at him as he seemed sure he was to blame.
Canadian athlete Mohamed Ahmed had also suffered a fall earlier on in the race.
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Social media blew up with reaction following the chaos.
One person wrote: "What a brutal ending to this men's 5000m round 1 heat 1."
Another said: "Men's 5000m is a brutal sport. I never knew!! Harsh! #OlympicGames."
A third added: "Unfortunately this looks like George Mills' fault - got himself in a bad position and caused chaos trying to push to the front. Mills then confronting France's Hugo Hay in a pointing and shouting match after crossing the finish line was a really bad look."
Not everyone is on the same side though, with some rushing to Mills' defence.
Another person wrote: "Hugo Hay should be disqualified for cheating, George Mills had every right to be angry at him."
Another said: "George Mills has every right to be kicking off at the end of that 5000m. Hugo Hay shoves him into the other runner and leaves him on the deck. Was under the impression that it's not allowed and can be a DQ. He's cost 3 runners a chance at the final."
As per the BBC, Paula Radcliffe, the former women's marathon world record holder, said: "There's a lot to look back at, I lot to tidy up and decide whose fault it was. If you decide to jog that slightly, it's kind of your own fault. You end up with all of those falls."
Following the collision, Mills spoke out to the BBC, where a reporter asked him what happened.
Mills said: "I mean, I think it’s pretty clear, I got stepped out on as I was about to kick in home straight and boom. Yeah, French lad took me down."
The reporter added: "You had some words with him afterwards, what did you say?"
Mills replied: "Probably not allowed to say, but yeah, said I’d... yeah.”
He explained he's hopeful about an appeal.
The athlete added: "I haven’t seen anyone, but I’m pretty sure that BA will be on it and put an appeal in, I hope.
"From my perspective, that was a perfect qualifier for me going through the first 2k in six minutes. I was like, ‘Alright, nobody in this field can run away from me at this pace.’
"So I was just sitting, waiting, biding my time, gonna kick off the home straight, and then bang, hit the deck. But yeah, what can you do?”
Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen eased his way to the front, winning the heat.
Ethiopia's Biniam Mehary came second, and Belgium's Isaac Kimeli came third.