- Maureen Koster was knocked out after falling in the women’s 3000 metres final
- The race continued as she lay motionless in front of worried Dutch fans
- She was eventually wheeled away from the arena and taken to hospital
Dutch athlete Maureen Koster was knocked out and wheeled away on a stretcher after a horror fall during the women’s 3,000 metres final at the European Indoor Championships.
The home favourite smashed her head on the track after a tangle involving two British runners in the early stages of the race in Apeldoorn.
With the race carrying on around her, Koster lay motionless before she was lifted off the track by medics.
She was then treated behind a screen in the in-field area as worried Dutch fans – including the King of Netherlands – watched on at the Omnisport Arena.
The 32-year-old, who was clearly unconscious, was eventually wheeled away from the arena and taken to hospital.
It was later confirmed by the Dutch federation that Koster was ‘conscious and responsive’.
Maureen Koster was knocked out after a horror fall in the women’s 3000 metres final
The home favourite was stretchered away in front of worried Dutch fans but is now responsive
Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant won silver in the event after being pipped on the home straight by Ireland’s Sarah Healy.
But the thoughts of the 31-year-old immediately turned to Koster, who she used to train with at Loughborough University.
‘She’s a really good friend of mine,’ revealed Courtney-Bryant. ‘I know her really well because we used to train together. We normally room together at Diamond Leagues. We are really close.
‘I couldn’t see anything but I heard her scream, so I knew it was her. I just thought, “That was Maureen who has gone down”. It put everyone on edge. It was carnage.
‘Because she was a home favourite as well, the crowd really reacted, and everyone else was really anxious because of it.
‘I really wanted a medal today, but I would have loved her to medal being in her home country.’
Koster was in front of Britain’s Innes FitzGerald and behind another GB athlete, Hannah Nuttall, when she fell. Nuttall was temporarily pushed off the track, while FitzGerald had to run round the stricken Dutchwoman.
‘I was in front of her and I heard something click behind me and just heard a scream,’ said Nuttall, who finished sixth. ‘Obviously it didn’t sound great. I hope she’s OK.’
The race continued as she lay motionless before she was lifted off the track by medics
Briton Melissa Courtney-Bryant claimed silver in the race but was more concerned with Koster’s welfare after the race
FitzGerald, who came eighth, added: ‘I just saw her on the floor in front of me. I thought I had to get round her. It was gutting to have her fall off, especially in front of a home crowd.
‘You could tell her presence because when she was on the start line the crowd went mental. It was great to have her in the race but very sad that she fell over.’
The BBC did not show the fall live because the feed – which is controlled locally – cut to the women’s high jump at that point of the race.
Commentator Steve Cram initially thought the 3,000m final might have to be abandoned.
‘I really do apologise, we’ve just had a fall in the 3,000m,’ said Cram. ‘They might have to stop this. She is unconscious on the track, it looks like.
‘I’m not sure what’s going to happen here. I am really sorry that we were away from this quite as long as that. That is a local directors’ choice. She has been removed from the track right in front of me.’
