Abbey D'Agostino, Nikki Hamblin
 

USA's Abbey D'Agostino tripped over New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin during Tuesday's 5000-meter preliminary. The tumble knocked both out of contention in the heat, but D'Agostino and Hamblin still created one of the most powerful moments of the Rio Olympics.


At first, it was Hamblin struggling to pick herself up off the track. D'Agostino stayed back from the pack to help Hamblin, who seconds earlier had foiled D'Agostino's race.


Moments later, it was Hamblin becoming the helper. D'Agostino limped down the track, clearly in more pain than Hamblin. D'Agostino dropped to the ground a few yards from the fall, but Hamblin stuck around to help her up.


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D'Agostino was taken off the track on a stretcher after grinding her way to the finish line, running for pride.

According to Hamblin, she had never met D'Agostino before, but when the two made the initial fall, D'Agostino, a 24-year-old from Topsfield, Massachusetts, called for the duo to keep themselves moving.

"There's this hand on my shoulder like, 'Get up, get up, we have to finish this,'" Hamblin says. "I'm so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me. I mean, that girl is the Olympic spirit right there."


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Also, good karma is apparently a thing. Both D'Agostino and Hamblin were granted tickets to the 5000 m final, as they were deemed not at fault for their fall.



If both are able to race, a medal is not out of the question yet. The final is Friday evening.

More Olympics:
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-- Watch 15-Year-Old Michael Phelps Predict He'll Win Gold Medals

Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.