Athlete stops to help injured rival at the European Championships
Carabana pulled the injured man off the racing line so as not to impede the other athlete
Athlete Nahuel Carabana proved there is more to sport than winning during the European Championships in Munich.
The Andorran was competing in the 3000m steeplechase when one of his fellow runners and leader Axel Vang Christensen picked up an injury just over 300m into the race after jumping over a barrier.
Rather than continuing with his race, the 22-year-old stopped to tend to the Dane who was in agony and tried to help him to his feet.
Carabana pulled the injured man off the racing line so as not to impede the other athletes. While the Dane was treated by doctors and taken out of the stadium, Carabana continued his race. He unsurprisingly went on to finish last, over a minute behind the race winner Osama Zoghlami.
He received a standing ovation from the entire stadium thanks to his sporting gesture. Fans on social media applauded the lovely moment, but also questioned the length of time it took the medical staff to reach the athlete.
“Such a lovely thing to do. Is Christensen ok? It was worrying seeing how he couldn’t move without help,” user @Sue_Pook said. “Any thoughts on why the trackside medical team seem to take so long to get to athletes?”, @rjgarry added.
While @rthonbwooster wrote: “I'm just really impressed with this. Well done Nahuel Carabana."
After the race, which ultimately ended in disappointment for Carabana, he explained why he immediately helped out his rival. He said: "He could have been injured more seriously. Maybe I can do something good today, I thought. That's why I made that decision."
