A French athlete collapsed during the 50km walk after suffering from stomach trouble – only to get back to his feet and finish the race.
Yohann Diniz, the world record holder in the event, was leading the field in the 45th minute when a camera picked up on him beginning to struggle.
A dark liquid starting trickling down the back of Diniz’s legs after he apparently defecated during the race.
An hour or so later he collapsed to the floor, lying there motionless for a few seconds before dragging himself to his feet and soldiering on.
Despite the Frenchman’s best efforts, he finished outside the medal positions, eventually finishing in eighth place.
Diniz has never made it to the podium of a world championships or Olympic Games in 20km, his best performance being a silver medal over 50km at the 2007 world championships.
He had to withdraw from the starting line at Beijing 2008 after feeling pain in both his leg and his stomach.

