The 5000m final qualifiers in Paris got off to an eventful start with Heat 1. While most of the first heat was quite uneventful, disaster struck when George Mills fell with 80m left to the finish line. Mills collided with France’s Hugo Hay while trying to finesse through a gap and sprint ahead. However, the Brit fell, taking about three other competitors down with him.

Things got heated as Mills confronted Hay after the event. “Coming into the home straight I was tucked into the inside on the last lap, where I wanted to be because I knew some sort of gap would open up… It was clear. I don’t know if you guys could see it on the TV,” the long-distance runner argued. The footage showed the tack and field athlete making contact with Hay’s arm moments before going down.

“Look, I wouldn’t go for a gap if it wasn’t there. That would be a pretty dumb strategy… I pulled onto the outside and there was space,” he told the press after the dust settled. The Olympic heats are a stepping stone for the final. So, it’s not surprising to see tempers flare when such an incident nullifies years of training and sacrifices in an instant. Netizens soon chimed in with their opinions.

“Hay literally is the last thing that touches Mills before he goes to the floor and takes 2+ others with him, ofc Hay deserves the DQ,” wrote an X-user fan who shared George Mills’ frustration. Meanwhile, another fan fueled the controversy saying “Hay pushed Mills during the race, knocking him into 3 other guys. Worthy of a DQ.” However, not everyone saw it that way.

“Only himself to blame. Disgraceful behavior, he should be ashamed of himself,” said another X-user who thought it was Mills’ fault for trying to squeeze through such a narrow gap. The netizen concluded that the British athlete blamed someone else for his mistake. However, things didn’t turn out too badly for all the 5000m athletes involved in the incident.

How Hugo Hay reacted after his exchange with George Mills

While his Team GB rival was serious, the Frenchman was left scratching his head. “I’m really surprised. I just hope that I didn’t do anything and I will not be disqualified. For me, that was nothing,” said the long-distance runner. “Like I said to George, I will watch the images and if I’m the guy that did it, I will apologize. For me, I didn’t do anything. I just hope that I can go in the final,” the worried French athlete to the press.

Thankfully, things turned out positively for all the athletes after the judges reviewed the footage. They allowed Dominic Lobalu (ROC), George Mills, and Mike Foppen, through to the 5000m finals. While no details have emerged on the decision, they must’ve not found any single athlete directly responsible for causing the mishap. So it seems that not only Hay, but Mills and at least two of the athletes he took out will also get another shot at redemption and earning an Olympic medal.