+34
Tigst Assefa ran the final two kilometres of the Berlin Marathon with a badly damaged Achilles tendon, which required immediate surgery to repair. She still ran the third-fastest women's marathon in history.
Assefa was within touching distance of eliminating Chepng'etich from the record books. But, within sight of the Brandenburg Gate at just 2 kilometres remaining, Assefa began to grimace, then started to limp and hobbled to the line.
Assefa suffered 'complete rupture of the right Achilles tendon'Olympic silver medallistBut incredibly, it was later revealed that the 29-year-old had suffered a "complete rupture of the right Achilles tendon" and has since undergone surgery. According to her team, Assefa had felt pain in her Achilles from the 31st kilometre, but pushed on regardless, before complete disaster struck with just 2km to go.
Getty Images: picture alliance/Andreas GoraThe Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone and lifts the heel when the calf muscle contracts.
"Your Achilles is basically a spring to propel yourself forward," Zoe Russell, a specialist sports and exercise physio as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists, told ABC Sport. "Tendon experts around the world sort of suggest that a painful tendon doesn't often rupture because it just can't sustain the load. How can you run with a ruptured Achilles?
Associate Professor Peter Malliaras, a physiotherapist and clinical researcher at Monash University, toldthat an Achilles tendon rupture "is quite a catastrophic injury".
"It will prevent you from pretty much doing everything in your daily functions; including walking, running, driving, for a fair period of time," he said. Demadonna claimed that Assefa "completely destroyed the tendon" by the end of the race, running the final 500 metres without it.
"She was no longer able to run, because when she was going to put her foot on the ground she had no power," Demadonna said. Yet Assefa was still able to finish the race, running along at a fair lick too, despite being unable to push off with her forefoot.she was wearing, with the integrated carbon plate essentially providing some of the spring instead.
"Those carbon plates will allow you to transfer your load a bit easier. " Nevertheless, Assefa collapsed soon after crossing the line in clear distress before support arrived, including Ethiopian long-distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie. She was immediately flown to Munich by private jet courtesy of her sponsor, Adidas, where Demadonna said she underwent "very complex surgery" on Monday.
Without knowing the exact details of the rupture, or the exact surgery technique used, Russell said a time frame for a return would be impossible to guess, but noted that quick surgery was essential.
"I've had athletes get an appointment with a surgeon within 20 minutes, half an hour of the injury. Getty Images: Maja Hitij"When you've got means and connections at the elite level, things can move very quickly — and you do want to move fairly quickly with an Achilles rupture because it is constantly under tension. When it ruptures, it actually retracts back.
"So if you're waiting weeks for surgery, it means that your muscles actually start to suffer the effects of de-conditioning and it retracts, which makes for a technically harder surgical process because you've got to pull it and put it all on tension and then stitch it up. "For an elite athlete, you'd want to get it in two or three days, whereas in the general population, you'll probably get away with getting it within a week.
" In a statement, Assefa's coach Gemedu Dedifo said that she "successfully underwent surgery" within 24 hours. "We look forward to seeing her recover and return to the track and roads. "Assefa sent a message from her hospital bed via the Berlin Marathon organisers, defiantly promising to return to break the record. "I am overwhelmed by the tremendous support I have received from all over the world.
From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone for their incredible support and concern. Tigst Assefa holds the women's only world record.
No marathon has seen more world records than Berlin, with 13 set at the race since 1974 thanks to its largely flat profile with just 73 metres of elevation gain and 79 metres of elevation loss over the 42km. to become the first woman to set a record on the course since Sydney Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi did so in 2001.having run 2:15:41 to win the 2026 London Marathon in AprilRaces where men and women start at the same time, as is the case in Berlin, tend to be faster for women, who are able to benefit from male pacemakers who can block the wind and reduce fatigue earlier in the race.
Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.
Berlin Marathon Achilles Achilles Tendon
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lawmakers Urge Congress to Protect Immigrants From Third-Country Deportations After Supreme Court RulingDemocratic lawmakers are calling for Congress to strengthen protections after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to resume deporting immigrants to countries where they may face danger, persecution or torture. The ruling did not address the legality of these deportations on the merits, and a hearing is scheduled for December. The administration says third-country removals are necessary when immigrants' home countries refuse to accept them.
Read more »
Nathan Cleary Wins First Dally M Medal as Tamika Upton Takes Third NRLW AwardPenrith halfback Nathan Cleary has won his first Dally M Medal, while Brisbane fullback Tamika Upton claimed her third NRLW player of the year award in four seasons.
Read more »
Brisbane 2032 Games Reveal Third Element of Olympic and Paralympic EmblemsThe third element of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games emblems has been unveiled in Rockhampton, with the full design scheduled to be revealed Monday after events on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. The design remains subject to speculation, while Rockhampton's proposed rowing and canoe sprint venue has also drawn local controversy.
Read more »
US Court Reviews Trump's Third Attempt at Global Tariffs Following Previous Legal DefeatsThe US Court of International Trade heard arguments challenging the Trump administration's new tariffs on approximately 86 countries, imposed under forced labor provisions. This legal battle follows previous rulings by the Court and the Supreme Court that struck down earlier tariff initiatives as unlawful, with critics arguing the new measures are a transparent attempt to resurrect the rejected regime.
Read more »