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WATCH: Another Controversy at Tokyo Olympics 2020 as French Athlete Tries to Make His Opponents Slip and Fall During the Race

Published 08/09/2021, 8:45 AM EDT

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The last day of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 witnessed the men’s full marathon. 106 athletes took to the streets of Japan to take part in one of the most iconic events of the Games on Sunday, August 8.

Starting from Odori Park in Sapporo, only 76 athletes finished the 42.195km race which had a challenging route. While many runners produced moments of brilliance, French runner Morhad Amdouni committed a surprising moment during the race.

French runner Morhad Amdouni knocks water bottles off a table during the men’s marathon

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The men’s marathon rounded off an exciting 10 days of athletics at the Tokyo Olympics. In fact, it was the only athletic event which took place on the last day of the Games, which shows the prestige it holds.

During the race, Amdouni made his way up the field, racing with the leading pack near the halfway stage. Despite the race starting at 7:00am local time, high temperatures and humidity provided difficult racing conditions for athletes. In this aspect, the organisers of the Games ensured they provided ample water stations and bottles for all athletes.

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However, Amdouni performed an action which screamed poor sportsmanship. As athletes approached a water station around the halfway mark, he knocked over several water bottles before picking up the last one. This ensured athletes behind him would have to run to the next water station to replenish themselves. One of those athletes was Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye, who finished second in the race.

Fans did not hold back in their criticism of the Frenchman, who many believed knocked the bottles off deliberately.

VIDEO: British Cyclist Laura Kenny Suffers Terrible Crash in Her Final Event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

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Amdouni finished 17th in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics

Although Amdouni was sixth near the halfway mark, he ultimately finished 17th in the race. This result ensured he went home without a medal as he finished 10th in the men’s 10000m final on Friday, July 30.

via Reuters

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge added to his gold medal from Rio as he braved the tough conditions in Tokyo to record an impressive victory. He finished a full minute ahead of second-placed Nageeye, who edged out Belgium’s Bashir Abdi to win a silver medal.

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WATCH STORY: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Medal Tally Update – USA Tops the Charts, China on Second

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Written by:

Sanket Nair

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Sanket Nair is an F1 Author at EssentiallySports. A Sports Management student, he is a huge fan of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo and hopes to see Red Bull break Mercedes' dominance and win the World Championship soon. Sanket has been hooked to the sport ever since he watched the battle for the 2010 World Championship go down to the wire at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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