Injury Keeps Topsfield's Abbey D’Agostino Out of Olympic 5K Final

A serious fall in the preliminary round of the 5,000-meter run was too much to overcome for Topsfield's Abbey D’Agostino.

USA Track and Field confirmed Wednesday that D’Agostino will not compete in Friday's final. An MRI administered Tuesday revealed a complete tear of her right ACL, a meniscus tear, and a strained MCL.

“There was about 2k to go, I was still feeling controlled, and was mentally preparing to focus and maintain contact with the lead group for the final grind,” D’Agostino said Wednesday morning in a statement. “Then in a split second, there was a woman on the ground in front of me, I tripped on her, someone behind me tripped on me, and I was on the ground. Although my actions were instinctual at that moment, the only way I can and have rationalized it is that God prepared my heart to respond that way. This whole time here he's made clear to me that my experience in Rio was going to be about more than my race performance -- and as soon as Nikki got up I knew that was it."

D’Agostino made headlines Tuesday for what she did following a fall involving her and New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin, the Topsfield native helped Hamblin up, with the two finishing the race in obvious pain.

D’Agostino has received near-universal praise for her post-fall actions, with many calling it a display of true Olympic spirit and class.

Image Credit: US Olympic Committee