Ethiopia's Etenesh Diro finishes steeplechase with just one shoe; advances to final on appeal
Etenesh Diro received huge cheers from the crowd as she continued to race despite a disastrous footwear malfunction
Diro bravely finished the steeplechase in seventh place after losing a shoe. The IAAF upheld her appeal and she has qualified for the final. (Photo: Getty Images/Paul Gilham)
Etenesh Diro, one of the contenders for the women's 3000m steeplechase medals, left the track of the Olympic Stadium in tears on Saturday (13 August) after having to run a heat with only one shoe on following a tumble.
After finishing seventh – outside the qualifying places for the final – Diro lodged an appeal with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). The IAAF decided that she had done enough to earn her place in Monday morning's final.
Diro, who was fifth at the London 2012 Olympic Games and is one of the fastest women in the world this year, hurt her foot when she was forced off balance when the athletes got bunched up in the early part of the race
Clearly struggling with her spikes, Diro stopped and took her right shoe off and then stopped again to throw a sock away before running the rest of the race with just one shoe and finishing in seventh position.
Etenesh Diro received medical attention as soon as she finished her heat in Rio (Photo: Getty Images/Cameron Spencer)
