- Maureen Koster was eliminated after falling in the 3000 -meter female final
- The race continued as she was motionless in front of the worried Dutch fans
- She was finally far from the arena and taken to the hospital
Dutch athlete Maureen Koster was eliminated and died on a stretcher after a horror fall in the 3,000 -meter women’s final at the European indoor championships.
The favorite of the house broke his head on the track after a tangle involving two British runners in the first stages of the race in Apeldoorn.
With the race that takes place around her, Koster was motionless before she was removed from the track by the doctors.
It was then processed behind a screen in the area on the field while worried Dutch fans – including the King of the Netherlands – watched Omnisport Arena.
The 32 -year -old man, who was clearly unconscious, was finally far from the arena and taken to the hospital.
The Dutch Federation later confirmed that Koster was “aware and responsive”.
Maureen Koster was eliminated after a horror fall in the 3000 -meter female final
The favorite of the house was extended in front of the worried Dutch fans but is now reactive
Melissa Courtney-Bryant in Great Britain won Silver during the event after being folded on the house directly by Sarah Healy in Ireland.
But the thoughts of the 31 -year -old man immediately turned to Koster, with whom she trained at the University of Loughborough.
“It’s a very good friend of me,” said Courtney-Buryant. “I know her very well because we trained together. We were normally putting ourselves together in Diamond League. We are very close.
“I couldn’t see anything but I heard her shout, so I knew it was her. I just thought myself: “It was Moorish who went down”. It put everyone on the edge. It was carnage.
“Because she was also a favorite of the house, the crowd really reacted, and everyone was really anxious because of this.
“I really wanted a medal today, but I would have liked it for the medal in its country of origin.
Koster was in front of Innes Fitzgerald British and behind another GB athlete, Hannah Nuttall, when she fell. Nuttall was temporarily pushed back from the track, while Fitzgerald had to run around the Dutchmanship.
“I was in front of her and I heard something click behind me and I just heard a cry,” said Nuttall, who finished sixth. “Obviously, it didn’t seem great. I hope she is fine.
The race continued as it was motionless before it was removed from the track by the doctors
British Melissa Courtney-Buryant claimed Silver in the race but was more concerned with the well-being of Koster after the race
Fitzgerald, who came eighth, added: “I just saw her on the ground in front of me. I thought I had to get around it. It was the evisceration to make it fall, especially in front of a crowd at home.
“You could say it because when it was on the starting line, the crowd became mental. It was great to have it in the race but very sad that she fell.
The BBC did not show the fall live because the flow – which is controlled locally – was cut at the height of women at this stage of the race.
The commentator Steve Cram first thought that the 3000 m final should be abandoned.
“I really apologize, we have just had a fall in the 3000m,” said Cram. “They may have to stop this. She is unconscious on the track, it looks like.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen here. I’m really sorry that we are far from that that much. It is a choice of local directors. It was removed from the track right in front of me.
