Ethiopian steeplechaser Diro moves into final on appeal

Losing a shoe won't keep Etenesh Diro from steeplechase final

Ethiopia's Etenesh Diro got tangled up with two other runners in Saturday's 3,000m women's Olympic steeplechase and stopped to tear off her damaged right shoe and sock.

For precious seconds, the Ethiopian athlete knelt on the track and tried to pull the shoe back on. Finally giving up on it, she ripped the shoe off completely and threw it away, took a few steps, then removed her right sock, too.

After finishing seventh – outside the qualifying places for the final – Diro lodged an appeal with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).

Etenesh Diro, @aishapraught
and @sara_treacy all advance to the 3000m steeplechase final following appeal #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/8m2i45Trao — IAAF (@iaaforg) August 13, 2016

The IAAF decided that she had done enough to earn her place in Monday morning's final.