Overview

• During the men’s 3,000m steeplechase heats on opening night, Tim Van de Velde saw Colombia’s Carlos San Martín struggling at the final barrier and ran back to assist him to the line.
• Associated Press accounts describe the pair as the 10th- and 11th-place finishers in their heat, with neither advancing to the final.
• San Martín was taken from the track in a wheelchair after the finish, and no detailed medical update was reported in the coverage.
• Van de Velde said he acted because he recognized the situation, noting previous crashes that left him with a broken collarbone last year and an ankle injury at the 2022 worlds.
• The moment was highlighted across coverage and social media as a standout act of sportsmanship on the championships’ opening night.