GREAT BRITAIN’S Adam Fogg has secured a place in the 1500m final for the World Indoor Athletics despite finishing sixth in his heat.
The 25-year-old was given qualification to Sunday’s final after he was TRIPPED by his opponent during the race.
Fogg had just got off the line to begin his qualification heat when after only five seconds he appeared to tangle his legs with Danish opponent Kristian Hansen and fall to the ground.
The fall was early enough for the distance runner to get back to his feet and try and hunt down the pack, but unfortunately he was still left some way off the race leaders.
However, after the race came to a conclusion Fogg was handed a place in Sunday’s 1500m final anyway after officials deemed his fall to be a consequence of being “unfairly impeded”.
Only three runners from each heat are supposed to qualify for the final with the fastest three making the cut, but exceptions can be made when someone has been impeded.
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Speaking after the race Fogg explained how his tumble had essentially put him out of the race despite his best efforts to catch back up.
He told BBC Sport: “This sport is brutal and I’ve hit the deck a few times, but when you hit the deck you don’t want it to happen in your first track Indoor World Championships.
“In the first steps I thought I was going to be in a good spot. I went down pretty hard and my shoulder is pretty sore, my hip feels sore, but it is the way it goes.
“The adrenaline got to me, but after you fall down like that you are swamped and you feel worn out straight away – I tried to pull it together, but there is nothing you can really do.”
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He went on to add that he was keen to keep going in spite of his fall to ensure he still finished the race in front of the home crowd in Glasgow.
He added: “I have never not finished a race and I don’t want to start that, this crowd is brilliant and it’s great to be running at a home championships.
“Obviously I am not from Scotland, but it’s nice to be in the UK.”
Fogg will now face off against the other qualified runners in Sunday’s final, but it will be a crowded track for the Brit.
He’s not the only runner that was given a spot in the final as a result of being tripped with Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary receiving the same treatment.
The two extra qualifications means that there will be 14 RUNNERS taking part in the final with the race originally supposed to see just 12 men face off for gold.
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
