A fair play gesture during this new day of the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. In a qualifying race of the men's 5,000 meters, Braima Suncar Dabo, an athlete from Guinea Bissau, sacrificed his stopwatch to help one of his competitors Jonathan Busby cross the finish line.
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Jonathan Busby, Aruba's runner, was in big trouble on his last lap. When he had just joined him, Braima Suncar Dabo decided to catch his competitor, about to collapse, and support him on the last 250 meters, under a standing-ovation of Khalifa stadium. The two riders crossed the finish line together after 18 minutes of racing. It is still the best personal performance of the two athletes, only representatives of their respective countries for these championships.
# Solidarity and sport ...
In big trouble in the 5000m series at #Doha, he is supported by a competitor to the finish line. # WorldAthleticsChampspic.twitter.com / ojZqQsq3Ng
The series was won by Ethiopian Selemon Barega five minutes earlier. The favorite, Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, double European champion, also qualified for the final.
Hot temperatures
In Doha, heat is the number one enemy of the athletes. Yesterday, out of the 68 women marathon participants, 28 had to give up. Despite a nocturnal departure, the temperature was 30 degrees, 40 degrees felt, with a humidity of 70%.
The world decathlon record holder, Frenchman Kevin Mayer, also declared that these worlds were a "catastrophe" because of the scorching temperatures but also of the low affluence in the stadiums. An opinion shared by Yohann Diniz, come to defend his title of world champion 50km walk. "It's a lack of respect" he dropped on Friday on Europe 1.