An American runner has been praised as a true Olympian after stopping mid-race to help a fallen rival on to her feet.

Middle-distance runners Abbey D’Agostino of the United States and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand both took hard falls on the track in Rio during a preliminary heat in the women’s 5,000 meters on Tuesday morning.

But all that happened after their falls that was great, as D’Agostino and Hamblin helped each other up, made sure each was OK, and then finished their races, even though both looked hurt and finished much later than the rest of the field.

Hamblin hung back to encourage the injured American, who hobbled over the line in last place.

They embraced before D’Agostino left in a wheelchair with a hurt ankle.

Neither initially qualified for the final but they earned much praise for their spirit.

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Picture Courtesy : Social Media