Drama on the purple track: Qualifying session sees crashes, cramps and a cameraman on the loose

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A seemingly routine set of qualifying rounds took an ugly turn with a big pileup, a cameraman walking on the track and drama in the high jump.

SAINT-DENIS, France — Pushing and shoving in one race on the track. A cameraman walking into the action in another. Leg cramps and untimely misses in the field.

The often-routine qualifying rounds at Olympic track and field took some strange turns Wednesday with a four-man pileup in one men’s 5,000-meter heat, a cameraman who walked into the other and drama in the high jump that left the defending co-champions in dire straits.

The biggest crash came in the first of two men's 5,000 heats when Britain's George Mills and France's Hugo Hay traded elbows, triggering a pileup involving Mills and three others who came crashing down like dominoes.

After the race, Mills shoved his finger in Hay's face and Hay, who stayed upright despite the earlier contact, pushed Mills.

“He took me out,” said Mills, the British silver medalist at the European Championship in June. “He could have stepped out.”

Mills, who finished 18th in the race due to the crash, said he figured that because “Hay is French and we're in France” he had little chance of being moved through to the final. But the referee determined Mills and the three others were disadvantaged by the contact and moved all into the final.

In the second heat, a cameraman walked onto the track

There was more drama in the second heat when a cameraman moseying across the racing surface stepped in the path of the runners midway through the race. Everyone changed course without incident, but heading into the final stretch, American runner Abdihamid Nur, a medal contender, fell and finished last.

About the only thing that went as expected was two-time world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway qualifying first in 13 minutes, 51.59 seconds. Ingebrigtsen was competing less than 15 hours after he stunningly failed to finish in the medals in the 1,500.

Fitness issues for Tamberi and Barshim

Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim, who famously agreed to share the gold medal in Tokyo took their friendship to a new level during a difficult qualifying round.

Both advanced despite physical issues. At one point, with Barshim writhing in pain with what looked like a cramp in his calf, Tamberi came over and massaged his buddy's leg. Later, the medical staff took over.

Barshim finished in good enough shape to clear 2.27 meters, which put him into Saturday's final.

Both gentlemen could use some rest.

“Nothing is good right now,” Tamberi said.

Tamberi has already had an eventful Olympics, losing his wedding ring in the Seine River while taking care of flag bearer duties for Italy during the opening ceremony. He then returned home and was hospitalized for what he described on Instagram as a “probable” kidney stone issue, and a fever of 38.8 Celsius (101.8 Fahrenheit).

Back in Paris, the Italian cleared 2.24 meters despite touching the bar slightly on his second jump. He went on to miss all three of his attempts at 2.27 and had to wait to make sure he qualified — he did because only one man in his qualifying group, Hamish Kerr, cleared that height.

Women's 100 meter hurdles

There was also a crash in the women's 100 hurdles when Michelle Jenneke of Australia got tripped up going over the third barrier.

She got up and continued competing in the wrong lane, clipped the fourth hurdle, too, but managed to reach the finish, which is all you need to do to advance to the repechage round.

Defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico qualified with the morning's best time, 12.42 seconds.

And in a few drama-free events

There was less drama in the men’s 800 heats as worlds silver medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya led in 1:44.64. Tokyo silver medalist Maria Andrejczyk of Poland led the women’s javelin qualifying.

The Spanish pair of Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez won the race walk mixed relay ahead of teams from Ecuador and Australia.