(Budapest) A cart carrying runners to the start of the 200m was involved in a collision at the world athletics championships on Thursday, leaving Jamaican sprinter Andrew Hudson with blurred vision after being hit by shards of glass in the right eye.
The 26-year-old said doctors removed some of the broken glass. He decided to run even though he couldn’t see out of his injured eye.
He finished fifth, but officials gave him a bye to Friday’s final. The latter will therefore feature nine participants, rather than eight.
“I did the best I could,” Hudson said after clocking 20.38 seconds. I sat there for 20 minutes trying to make a decision, whether to participate or not. I worked hard to be here. And even with these circumstances, everyone has obstacles in life. If I can run, I will try my best. So I tried. »
The incident occurred when the cart was transporting the athletes from their warm-up to the waiting room near the track for the semi-final. Another cart coming from a perpendicular passage then hit the vehicle.
A statement from Worlds revealed that Hudson had been given the green light by doctors to compete. A spokesperson said an investigation was underway into the incident and transportation procedures would be reviewed.
The semi-final was pushed back 30 minutes. Hudson was still in shock after his run, when he conducted interviews.
“I was scared,” he confessed. This is my view. It’s more important [than the race]. I won’t be running the track forever. »
Also involved in the collision uninjured, American Noah Lyles won the semi-final heat in 19.76s. He will have the opportunity to defend his 200m title after winning the 100m earlier this week. Canadian Andre de Grasse will also be in the final.
