Morgan Uceny of the United States falls. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Morgan Uceny’s shoulders heaved as she knelt on the track and pounded her hands on the surface.
The American fell to the ground as she and the rest of the 1,500-meter field rounded the first curve on the final lap. She looked around in surprise and then leaned over and buried her face in her hands. She stayed like that even after Turkey’s Asli Cakir Alptekin, who won the gold medal, crossed the finish line. An Olympic volunteer approached her as the other runners were leaving the track and she did not respond, continuing to sob and pound on the track.
Finally, with the other runners already making their way through the mixed zone, Uceny got up, shielding her eyes with her hands, her shoulders still shaking.