Paris Olympics: Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma leaves steeplechase final on stretcher after falling, hitting head

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Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma left Wednesday's men's 3,000-meter Olympic steeplechase final on a stretcher after falling and hitting the back of his head on the final lap.

The nature of Girma's injury wasn't immediately clear in the aftermath of the event, which closed Wednesday's competition at Stade de France on the outskirts of Paris.

A world record holder in the event and a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, Girma was in the middle of a crowded pack as runners started the last of 7.5 laps. Girma started to pull away from the pack in pursuit of then-leader Kenneth Rooks of the USA.

Girma passed five runners into second position, then tripped over one of the event's final hurdles. He hit the back of his head on the track, and his body went immediately limp face down. Trailing runners leaped over him as the race continued.

The race finished seconds later, with Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali taking gold, Rooks winning silver and Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot securing bronze. Girma remained down on the track as runners crossed the finish line.

NBC's live broadcast declined to cover Girma's injury beyond the initial fall for several minutes before announcer Leigh Diffey acknowledged his status while signing off.

"Let's spare a thought for Lamecha Girma," Diffey said. "He went down hard. And the medical team is tending to him."

Images from the stadium show medical officials placing Girma's head and neck in a brace and carrying him off on a stretcher.

Romain Donneux of French sports publication L'Équipe reported after the event that Girma was conscious. He was able to talk while receiving treatment in the stadium's medical room, per the report. The CBC's Devin Heroux shared a statement from a Paris Olympics spokesperson that Girma was receiving treatment and being assessed in a hospital.

Further details of Girma's condition were not initially clear.