U.S. runner Paul Chelimo thought he was giving an interview in recognition of his earning the 5,000m silver medal behind Great Britain’s Mo Farah. Instead, he was informed on live television by NBC’s Lewis Johnson that he had been disqualified for “infringement of the inside border.”
Chelimo appears shocked; fans on social media were outraged, particularly about the circumstances under which he was informed.
Chelimo filed an appeal, which was approved; his silver medal was reinstated. 41-year-old fellow American Bernard Lagat had been in line to earn the bronze, but found himself bumped off the podium again.
He responded to the confusing turn of events with grace.