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See Inspirational Moment Olympic Sprinter Ran to Injured Competitor's Aid (PHOTOS)
"I can only share her pain," Silina Pha Aphay said about injured fellow sprinter Lucia Moris. "It’s a big dream to come here."
The 100-meter dash is a proving ground for a runner’s speed.
On the first day of track and field events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a preliminary heat of the 100m also served as an inspirational reminder about the foundational Olympic virtues of unity and sportsmanship.
You might want to grab a tissue before reading about what Silina Pha Aphay, a runner from Laos, did.
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What happened during the women's 100m heat?
The first morning of track and field included a preliminary heat with nine runners on the track in the Stade de France.
Pha Aphay was in this mix. She was alongside runners from South Sudan, Turkmenistan, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Mauritania, San Marino, and Congo.
The nine runners shared one goal. They hoped to finish in the top three and advance to the first round, which meant the potential of racing against sprinting superstars like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce or Sha’Carri Richardson, the Washington Post reported,
Pha Aphay finished in 12.45 seconds, a personal best on the season, per the Post, but only good enough for sixth place. Her 2024 Olympic experience was over in about the time it takes to count to 12.
During the heat, she’d noticed that Lucia Moris, the runner in Lane 1 from South Sudan, had fallen about 70m into the race.
After she’d crossed the finish line, Pha Aphay saw Moris clutching her right leg and moaning in agony.
Remarkably, Pha Aphay raced toward the start line, where she waved down medics to help her fellow Olympian. Pha Aphay remained with Moris until they took her opponent away on a stretcher, SI.com reported.
Who is Silina Pha Aphay?
Pha Aphay, 28, made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she was a flag bearer for Laos. She ran the 100m preliminaries, finishing with a time of 12:41.
Pha Aphay was introduced to running by her father. She counts Usain Bolt, a 100-m speed record setter, as one of her heroes.
She understands what it’s like to get hurt during a race. “I can only share her pain,” Pha Aphay said about Moris, per the Washington Post.
“All 100 meters athletes have to know how being hurt feels. And this is a big competition. It’s a big dream to come here. But you get hurt here. So everybody knows the feeling.”
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On her Instagram account, Pha Aphay is pictured making a heart with her hands – fitting because at the Paris Games, she displayed not only her fast feet, but generous heart.
Who is Lucia Moris?
Moris, 23, is a two-time Olympian from South Sudan who specializes in the 100m and 200m sprints.
At the Olympics 2020 Tokyo Games, Moris, like Pha Aphay, was a flag bearer for her country.
Unfortunately, competing then in her first Olympics, Moris suffered a leg injury during a 200m heat. She left the track in a wheelchair.
