Devastation for Mayo runner forced to pull out of Olympic marathon
The Mayo native was forced to retire from the race after just five minutes.
Mayo-native Sinead Diver was forced to pulled out of the Olympic marathon little more than one kilometre into the race.
The Erris woman, Australia’s national record-holder marathoner, stepped off the Paris course less than five minutes into the run in distressing scenes on Sunday morning local time.
Photos from the sidelines showed Diver, 47, hunched over the temporary crowd barriers just minutes into the race before withdrawing from the event.
“Sinead Diver withdrew from the marathon after experiencing bilateral cramping in both quadriceps at Paris 2024,” a statement from Athletics Australia confirmed.
“She is devastated and being supported by team officials and medical staff.” The organisation refuted suggestions Diver, who finished tenth in Tokyo three years ago, may have been suffering from an injury.
“Despite managing Plantar fasciitis at times this year, there was no physical reason for Sinead to not compete today,” they said.
