It was meant to be another historic victory for Habtom Samuel – the reigning star of the New Mexico Lobos, a day after his 5k indoor win. But in the men’s 3000-meter final at the NCAA Indoor Championship, the race took a U-turn. A split-second clash on the final turn upended expectations and the presumed champion’s win turned into a controversy.

On March 14 in Arkansas, the men’s 3000-meter final began like any other big race: the runners were all in a pack, pacing themselves, jostling each other into the best position to breeze to the finish. But this jostling proved costly for Habtom Samuel.

With the final lap near, Samuel and Colin Sahlman were leading, with Marco Langon right behind them, as they went into the final bend. About 100 meters from the NCAA finish, Langon attempted to pass Samuel on the curve, and that’s when Samuel reacted to protect his line. In this split second, Samuel’s arm reportedly swept into Sahlman’s path.

This caused a contact that disrupted Sahlman’s momentum for several crucial strides. Despite the interference, Samuel seemed to pass across the line first, and came home in 7:41.65. However, Northern Arizona immediately filed a protest.

They cited the contact and how it affected Sahlman in the final stretch. Officials reviewed the last lap in detail and determined that Samuel had “impeded the progress of a runner.” As a result, he was disqualified, and his finish was removed from the official standings.

Even so, the disqualification hit him hard, Samuel later shared his heartbreak on Instagram. “Double Champion in my heart. Crossed the line first in the 3k today but got DQ’d. It hurts to lose the title on a technicality, but you can’t DQ the work or the performance. Congrats to the winners.”

But things didn’t end there, as opinions varied, and Samuel had to step in to defend his stand.

The updated results confirmed that Colin Sahlman was elevated to being the national champion with a time of 7:41.66. Simeon Birnbaum of Oregon moved up to second at 7:41.85, and Marco Langon of Villanova took third at 7:42.56.

However, some fans called it a harsh call, while others noted the interference warranted it.

Eventually, what appeared to be a historical triple-crown to Samuel came out in shock and controversy, leaving Sahlman with the title plus one of the most dramatic finishes in NCAA history to date.

But at the same time, Samuel did explain further what really happened on that final lap.

Habtom Samuel opened up about the 3000 m last-lap NCAA controversy

Habtom Samuel, the 22-year-old Eritrean long-distance star, reflected on the final lap of the controversial NCAA 3000 m race: “We were just fighting for position…At the time, I was trying to pass Colin, and like Marco come to pass me as well…I have to stand for my position.”

“I have to be strong physically. (There was a) little contact but I don’t have any protests about that, and I’m happy,” he said.

Samuel further explained, “I‘m not going to let anyone like pass right on my shoulder, you know….he can pass line two or line three. That’s open line…”

While the DQ was a tough moment, it does not overshadow his outstanding career.  His early international achievements include a bronze medal in the 3000 m at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships and a bronze in the 5000 m at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships.

However, he has faced such unfortunate moments even before. During his first NCAA appearance in the 10,000m Outdoor championship, he tripped with only 900 meters remaining but regained composure to win in 28:07.82.

Later, in the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships, Samuel lost a shoe at approximately 5 km, and then ran the rest of the course without a shoe on his foot, crossing the line in second place, 28:38.9.

For Samuel, the 3000 m may not have ended as planned, but his record of unforgettable performances proves that the story is far from over. His best races may still be ahead.