Aussie marathon runner Sinead Diver was forced to pull out of the women’s marathon in heartbreaking scenes, reigniting debate about her Olympic selection.
Diver, who is the current record holder of the Australian women’s marathon, suddenly stopped just 1.5km into the gruelling 42km race held on Sunday.
The 47-year-old appeared distressed minutes after the race began and walked towards the side of the road.
She leaned against a crowd barrier before she bent over and clutched her leg, which was shaking, before she pulled out of the race.
Medical staff rushed over to assist Diver, who was left in tears following her premature exit, before she was helped back to the starting line a short time later.
The emotional scenes put a major dent for Australia’s hopes of earning a medal in the race on the final day of the games.
Three-time Aussie Olympic athlete Tamsyn Manou (nee Lewis) expressed her shock while commentating on the event on Nine.
‘I feel for Sinead Diver in this situation because she’s worked so hard and she earned this spot by being our fastest athlete, there’s no question on that,’ Manou said.
Aussie athlete Sinead Diver (pictured) appeared to be a distressed state minutes after the marathon started
Diver was forced to withdraw after experienced cramps in her thighs, according to an Australian Olympic Committee spokesman.
He also revealed that Diver had been battling Plantar fasciitis- inflammation of tissue on the bottom of the foot, going into the Olympics.
‘Sinead Diver withdrew from the marathon after experiencing bilateral cramping in both quadriceps at Paris 2024,’ the spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
‘She is devastated and being supported by team officials and medical staff.
‘Despite managing Plantar fasciitis at times this year, there was no physical reason for Sinead to not compete today’.
Fellow Aussies Jess Stenson and Genevieve Gregson finished the marathon in 13th and 24th respectively.
The distressing incident has reignited a furious debate over the controversial selection process, which started well before the Olympics began.
Despite Diver clocking the fastest time to qualify at the event, four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman was controversially snubbed denied a chance of competing at the Games.
Weightman had the third fastest qualification time and was in the running to be part of the three-member team.
Selectors snubbed Weightman and instead went with Stenson, who qualified fourth.
‘I am of course disappointed by the decision given that I fought hard and fair to gain my qualification time,’ Weightman said in a statement at the time.
‘What I am most disappointed about is AA’s (Athletics Australia) own internal systems and procedures that have allowed this outcome and which, unless corrected, will negatively impact future Australian athletes and their legitimate claims to represent Australia.’
A spokesman for the Australian Olympic Committee told Daily Mail Australia that Diver (pictured) experienced cramps in her thighs and was forced to pull out
The incident sparked an on-air debate between Manou and her co-commentator David Culbert during the coverage of the marathon.
It came as Weightman won the Sunshine Coast half marathon in a blistering time of 70 minutes back home in Australia earlier on Sunday.
‘The three athletes who were picked are great athletes in their own right, and I also feel for Sinead Diver in this situation because she’s worked so hard and she earned this spot by being our fastest athlete, there’s no question on that,’ Manou said.
But she admitted she was ‘heartbroken’ for Weightman, who was 10th in Tokyo.
Culbert responded: ‘That’s true, Tamsyn, but you can’t take someone’s spot to run a kilometre. I’m sorry.’
‘If you know that that’s the case, if you’ve known in good enough time … you don’t get picked to start the race, you get picked to try and finish it — that’s the famous story of the marathon.
Culbert added that fierce questions still remain.
‘We’ll take it on face value,’ he said.
‘There’s a lot of information to suggest there’s another story, and the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.’
‘To be honest, unless we get the right answers, it’s going to (leave) a question mark on what’s been an unbelievable campaign for Australia.
The distressing incident has reignited a furious debate over Australia’s controversial selection process of picking athletes for the gruelling event (pictured)
Manou added: ‘No matter what unfolds in this race … there’s going to be a lot said in the community of running back home.’
Australia had six women to chose from to send to Paris, who all qualified under the required time of 2 hours, 26minutes and 50seconds.
They included Diver, Gregson, Stenson, Weightman, Isobel Batt-Doyle, and Eloise Wellings.
The selection requirements to compete in the event aren’t entirely based on who has the fastest time.
Other variables include weather conditions, the difficulty of the race and the level of competition.
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