Lithuanian runner Gabija Galvydytė advances to European Championship final after semi-final fall

Gabija Galvydytė will compete in the European Championship 800m final after a dramatic semi-final incident. The Lithuanian runner fell when leader Audrey Werro stumbled in the final stretch, but Galvydytė managed to avoid a complete fall and finish the race.

"I stopped and started laughing," Galvydytė said after the race, recalling a similar event in Tokyo. "At the World Championships, girls also fell and missed the whole final. At that time, that incident took away my ticket to the final. Well, maybe this is a chance for me, an opportunity to show what I can do in the final."

Galvydytė sustained minor abrasions to her elbow but believes her race time of 2:03 minutes proves she had a chance for the final. She lost 3-4 seconds on the track but recovered to finish strongly. "It's a shame it happened, but I couldn't do anything about it," she said.

She had followed her plan to stay with leader Werro, expecting a strong finish. However, she sensed Werro's race was not going as planned. Galvydytė was almost certain she would make the final, stating, "It's not in my hands, but I won't lie, I'll be surprised if they don't accept me into the final. I did everything to avoid falling, I tried to jump over, but I couldn't. It's not my fault."

The Lithuanian Athletics Federation filed a protest, which was reviewed and upheld, ensuring Galvydytė's spot in the final.