This Touching Moment In Rio Is The Definition Of Olympic Spirit

In a show of true sportsmanship, American distance runner Abbey D’Agostino helped a fellow competitor up off the track after the two got tangled and fell to the track.

A little over halfway through second heat of the women’s 5,000m qualifiers, D’Agostino clipped New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin from behind, sending both runners tumbling to the ground.

D’Agostino was able to get to her feet first. But instead of running off to re-join the pack, she made sure to help an injured Hamblin to her feet.

“I’ve never met this girl before,” Hamblin said, according to the New York Daily News. “That’s an amazing moment. Regardless of the race and the result on the board, that’s a moment that you’re never, ever going to forget.”

D’Agostino finished the race despite an ankle injury, finishing in 30th place. Hamblin finished in 29th.

The two shared a hug at the finish line, and a handshake before D’Agostino was taken off the track in a wheelchair.

Both racers were added to the women’s 5,000m finals on Saturday.

D’Agostino was a four-time NCAA national champion Dartmouth in the women’s 5,000m, and a seven-time national champion overall.

Written by Alex Hider for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider. Follow Scripps on Twitter @ScrippsNational.