Abbey D'Agostino '14 Shines With True Olympic Spirit

UPDATE: Abbey D'Agostino will not be able to compete in the finals of the 5000m due to a “complete tear of her right ACL, a meniscus tear and a strained MCL.” Yahoo! Sports report

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Former Dartmouth standout Abbey D'Agostino '14 is making a name for herself at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Not for where she finished, but rather how she finished.

The seven-time national champion and 14-time All-American is being celebrated for her show of sportsmanship and embodying the Olympic spirit after a fall in the semifinals of the 5000m Tuesday morning.

The Topsfield, Massachusetts, native was taken down by Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand in front of her in a tightly packed bunch of runners. D'Agostino fell to the track where she remained for a few moments, clearly in pain. Hamblin and D'Agostino helped one another to their feet and continued to run at a much more gingerly pace.

With the pain evident on her face, D'Agostino ran the final four laps and finished 16th in 17:10.02. At the finish line, she and Hamblin embraced, a moment that captured the attention of the world as a sign of sportsmanship between two high-level athletes competing on the biggest stage.

Despite the finish, a successful official protest by Team USA's staff following the race awarded D'Agostino a spot in Friday's event final, set to begin at 8:40 p.m. Hamblin was also awarded a spot in the final after a protest of her own.

Today's cover: Track collision turns into heart-warming Olympic moment https://t.co/oZMNj1LBKI pic.twitter.com/L1SlVBYmPg
— New York Post (@nypost) August 17, 2016

After colliding, @abbey_dags (#USA) & @NikkiHamblin (#NZL) show true #Olympic spirit. https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/HTfixzxCVS
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016

7-time NCAA champ Abbey D'Agostino collided with a competitor, they helped each other up and finished the race. pic.twitter.com/wpkIt638zH
— NCAA (@NCAA) August 16, 2016

"Get up, get up! We have to finish!"

U.S. runner helps her opponent up from a fall: https://t.co/wvVcytmZ4B
— ESPN (@espn) August 16, 2016

If you watched that race, you know everything you need to know about @abbey_dags.
— Will Geoghegan (@GeoghegaNation) August 16, 2016

Sometimes the Olympics isn't about winning gold, but how you finish when you know you won't win. Proud of @abbey_dags for finishing strong!
— Dartmouth Athletics (@dartmouthsports) August 16, 2016

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