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Original poster

commonwealth games - australia appalling behaviour

85 replies

takeittakeit · 15/04/2018 10:44

The poor scottish marathon runner who collapsed just before the end.

Australia your behaviour ruined the Games

No one there to help him
Taking photos of him lying their distressed.

And your official saying we can not have medics every mile - yes you bloody can.

Am appalled at the pictures coming out - your spectators and officials shame a nation - none of you helped him, comforted him did anything.

Disgusted - even your eventual winner did not even look. True champions care

OP posts:
Berthatydfil · 15/04/2018 10:50

OMG I totally agree - I was watching it and felt physically ill and disgusted. He was totally out of it and all the onlookers were doing were looking and taking photos.
I understand that runners can’t be helped as they get disqualified but it was obvious he was in no condition to get back up and finish the race.

I’m not a runner but it was a warm day several leading runners had had injuries earlier so it’s obvious the conditions were challenging and can’t believe that there weren’t more officials there and the time it took to get him help.

NotBadConsidering · 15/04/2018 11:24

It was a disgrace. He wasn't in a fit state to make a clear judgement and anyone medically competent would have known that.

PandaPolarBear · 15/04/2018 12:02

It surprised me that as he was clearly in trouble for a while before he finally collapsed into that barrier (having already had to pick himself up off the ground once) that they didn't have a medic ready to hop out of a car, or off the back of a motorbike to help him. They had time to radio for assistance.

It's not like he was just approaching the finish, he wasn't going to manage to stagger across the finish line from where he was. There are a surprising number of vehicles ahead of the lead runner in a race like this, why wasnt there at least a first aider around, or someone with some water, and an umbrella for shade to look after him until more help arrived?

NotBadConsidering · 15/04/2018 12:08

If you look at the photo lower down in this article

newpaper24.com/scottish-athlete-callum-hawkins-collapses-as-he-leads-commonwealth-games-marathon-newpaper24/

There is a huge bloody umbrella a few metres up that someone could have moved.

Rainbowqueeen · 15/04/2018 12:13

Can't link but there are articles saying he refused help because if he was helped then he wouldn't be eligible for a medal.

Taking photos of him is pretty crap though. Give the guy some dignity

TheStoic · 15/04/2018 12:14

Very sad. I feel very sorry for him.

Floralnomad · 15/04/2018 12:16

It was an absolute disgrace , someone should have got off one of the camera bikes at least . I was watching live and think Steve Cram got the level of disgust about right . As for the spectators all taking photos and videos yet no one climbed the barrier to actually do anything , they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves , particularly as the poor chap had hit his head quite hard a couple of times . I was also quite surprised at how the other chap just ran straight past when it was obvious that no one was helping him , I know it’s a race but what happened to humanity .

MrsMaxwell · 15/04/2018 12:16

Yeah even the commentators were apologising Sad

Floralnomad · 15/04/2018 12:18

As for saying he refused help , surely they could see he was in no state to make that decision , I could see that and I was watching through a TV screen on the other side of the world .

Hoppinggreen · 15/04/2018 12:19

I’ve just watched it and at least one lady was leaning through the barrier to try and help him
Apparently took just under 2 minutes for medical help to reach him, which given the type of event is far too long

DoormatBob · 15/04/2018 12:20

It's an elite athletics event, spectators should not be getting involved and the other runners are still racing. The only criticism is if they didn't have a medic on a car/motorbike with the lead runners?

whinetime89 · 15/04/2018 12:21

I am Australian and I was appalled

NotBadConsidering · 15/04/2018 12:25

He clearly wasn't in a state to make any decision for or against treatment. That's a massive error in the statement from the organisers. I read a good comparison: if a rugby player gets knocked out, regains consciousness and gets assessed and says he's fine, should he be allowed back on? No of course not. The worst thing for me was how long it took for someone competent to assess him to appreciate what everyone else could see.

As for the Aussie running past, I actually don't blame him. Firstly when you're at your limit 2km from the end of a marathon, if he'd stopped he would never have been able to start again and his race would have been over. Second, he probably ran past and saw the scene and figured it wasn't too serious given the completely inappropriate lack of fuss being made.

coolwalking · 15/04/2018 12:26

If anyone touches an athlete they are disqualified so that's why onlookers wait until someone official comes.
Awful to watch though - medics should have been closer.

PandaPolarBear · 15/04/2018 12:27

We could all see that he was in a state, and going to collapse though, so even if they had to respect him refusing help since he didn't want a DQ, once he was down they should have been waiting to pounce with the medical team.

It's one thing for it to take a few minutes to get to a runner if it's someone further back down the field, that doesn't have the cameras following them, and doesn't have the timing car etc... but this was the lead runner!

Jannilost · 15/04/2018 12:36

I'm shocked too, if i was in the crowd, i wouldn't carev if he refused help. He was in no fit state and needed urgent treatment.

Waddlelikeapenguin · 15/04/2018 12:37

Shameful Sad

Floralnomad · 15/04/2018 12:38

I didn’t expect the other chap to stop running but from the TV pictures he seemed to not even acknowledge the chap was sprawled in the road and the fact that nobody was helping him I just would have expected the other runner to gesture or something to an official / worker, and there were plenty of people on mopeds etc , to help him .

diddl · 15/04/2018 12:38

Absolutely heartbreaking for him.

He got himself right to the side out of the way, almost into some shade.

Shame noone had anything to hold over him.

As a pp put though, it could have been anticipated.

Juells · 15/04/2018 12:40

newpaper24.com/scottish-athlete-callum-hawkins-collapses-as-he-leads-commonwealth-games-marathon-newpaper24/

That's the weirdest article I ever tried to read.

turnipfarmers · 15/04/2018 12:41

It's appalling. I didn't see this coverage but one of the divers made a mistake and fell off the diving board; the coverage showed it again 3 or 4 times from different angles and showed her walking away from the pool side clearly upset. Nothing like that should be shown IMO.

diddl · 15/04/2018 12:43

According to the Mail onlineBlush he fell onto a barrier & was pushed back onto the track by a spectator.

If correct, he would have been disqualified at that point?

flowerslemonade · 15/04/2018 12:47

haha I googled it and tried to read that article too, have you read some of the other ones? They don't make much sense!

Quartz2208 · 15/04/2018 12:51

I think its terrible medics (especially in that heat) did not get there sooner

However I do think casting asperions at the eventual winner is also unfair and uncalled for. He was also dealing with the heat and probably had tunnel vision to just finish himself. Plus it is not his job.

NotBadConsidering · 15/04/2018 12:52

I linked that article as it's one I could find showing the umbrella.

www.bbc.com/sport/commonwealth-games/43774316

Better one.