It's always smart to run through the finish line ... but what if you forget where the finish line actually is? Well, Ethiopian long-distance runner Hagos Gebrhiwet encountered this very problem to start the Fourth of July weekend, and it cost him a 5,000-meter victory at the IAAF Diamond League.
As seen on NBC Sports, Gebrhiwet strode right past the bell for the final lap at a meet in Switzerland on Friday, then proceeded to strut with his hands up in celebration of a would-be first-place finish -- all while his competition passed him by. The race continued, and World Indoor Championships star Yomif Kejelcha easily coasted his way to the actual finish line and the victory.
Gebrhiwet is no slouch in the long-distance running community. The 25-year-old earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the same event, and he came into the Diamond League events just over a year after winning the 3,000-meter run at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Tour. He also has two World Championships medals under his belt. But none of those accomplishments could save him from the embarrassment of misjudging the finish line in Lausanne, where he sprinted through the second-to-last lap before veering out of his lane toward the crowd.
Gebrhiwet attempted to make up ground after watching Kejelcha blaze by him, but ultimately finished 10th in the event.
