George Mills Advances to Olympic 5000m Final Despite Dramatic Fall

George Mills is set to compete in the Olympic 5000m final on Saturday, despite facing a chaotic situation during his heat. This incident occurred at the Stade de France where Mills collided with French runner Hugo Hay.

With just 90 meters left in the race, Mills found himself in a group of runners when Hay allegedly stepped into his path, causing Mills to fall and take down a few other athletes, including Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Dominic Lobalu.

The awkward tumble saw Mills hit the ground as he was trying to find his speed for a strong finish. Mills expressed his frustration with the incident, stating on Europsport, “This guy came and took me out.” He was outraged, considering it was a French athlete involved and had little hope for an official appeal.

Despite the tumble, the video review decision allowed Mills and three other runners caught in the mess to advance to the final. Hay, who qualified in seventh place, denied any wrongdoing, saying, “It was a big collision…I hope it’s not me.”

Notably, this clash came after Mills had previously exited the 1500m semi-finals earlier in the Games. He had a plan to run a controlled race, saving energy for the final burst, and expressed disappointment that the fall took control away from him.

In the same race, Mo Ahmed faced his own hurdles, tripping with a lap left to run, ultimately finishing in 16th place. Mills and Ahmed’s misfortunes made the race much more challenging for them at the Olympics.

Meanwhile, Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the second heat of the 5000m comfortably. Other British athletes, like Sam Atkin, also competed but struggled due to recent health issues. Atkin shared how he was trying to recover from food poisoning and Covid in the weeks leading up to the Games.

In the men’s 800m heats, Ben Pattison, Elliot Giles, and Max Burgin showed strong performances, all moving into the semi-finals. Giles, a late addition to the team, competed well after being sidelined for a while before the Games.

On the women’s side, Revee Walcott-Nolan qualified for the 1500m semi-finals, and Cindy Sember made it into the 100m hurdles semi-finals with a solid finish, highlighting a day full of ups and downs for the British team.