Lamecha Girma’s 2024 Olympics experience took a terrifying turn.

During his 3000-meter men’s steeplechase final August 7, the Ethiopian athlete’s final lap was cut short after he took a hard fall while trying to clear one of the course’s barriers.

Lamecha, who was stationed within the front of the pack during the bell lap, had been making a move to bring himself into the second position when his trailing right leg looked to clip the barrier, causing him to fall directly onto his back.

The 23-year-old—who currently holds the world record in the event and is the defending silver medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Games—remained motionless for much of the duration of the event as his fellow runners avoided him as they cleared the barrier.

Lamecha had managed to roll over and onto his stomach, per The Athletic, by the end of the race—which saw a silver medal victory for Team USA’s Kenneth Rooks—and was soon attended to by medical personnel who carried him off the track in a neck brace and backboard. (Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali and Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya won gold and bronze, respectively.)

At the close of the live broadcast, NBC commentator Leigh Duffy noted, “In 40 years of commentating running and the steeplechase, I have never seen a fall that heavy.”

Following the incident, Paris 2024 organizers shared a statement confirming they were monitoring the situation.

“Following his fall in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate care from the on-site medical teams,” organizers told The Guardian. “Our thoughts are with him and we are sending him our very best wishes for a swift recovery. Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay updated on his condition.”

A post from Elite Running Team, to which Lamecha belongs, shared that following the event he had temporarily lost consciousness after his fall.

A subsequent update from the team shared a more promising prognosis.

“After a full medical examination during the night,” the August 8 post read, “it has been confirmed that @lamechagirmaa doesn't suffer from any major head injury. He will undergo further scans to check his leg before being allowed to leave the hospital.”

The team concluded the post—which included an image of Lamecha in a hospital bed with his eyes open—with gratitude, adding, "Thank you to the french medical team and to all of you for your support."

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