Paul Chelimo disqualification from 5000m overturned upon appeal

Paul Chelimo of Team USA thought he had raced to a silver medal. He crossed the finish line in 13:03.90, which was just behind Mo Farah of Great Britain. He was, however, disqualified from the race for breaking rule 163.3b, which prohibits runners for stepping on the inside lane line. But then, the track gods did the right thing. The disqualification was reversed, and Chelimo won his silver medal.

Chelimo was originally disqualified for stepping on the lane line, but the rail from the inside track was removed -- and replaced with cones -- because the women’s high jump was going on on the inside of the track. With no rail, which is a metal tube that sticks up about two inches from the track, it’s easier to stick closer to the inside of the track, which is exactly what Chelimo did.

Stepping on the inside didn’t appear to give him an advantage, but he was still disqualified. Bernard Lagat of the US, who had moved up into bronze medal position because of disqualifications, wasn’t pleased with the DQ. “To disqualify people when they didn’t gain an advantage is not the right spirit,” he told reporters after the race. “I like to know I earned my medal.”

Chelimo, now reinstated, most definitely earned his.

Here’s the photo that shows why Chelimo was originally disqualified.