In the warm-up before the final of the 400 meter hurdles, Wilfried Happio is said to have been attacked and shamed by a person who “appeared from nowhere”. Still, he had to start, even though he had obvious problems and coughed up blood. His left eye had to be bandaged, and he ran the race himself with a patch in front of his eye. He probably does not regret it. The hurdles runner ran in a time of 48.57, and he set a new personal record, in addition to meeting the minimum requirement for the World Championships in American Eugene, which starts on 15 July. SAYS: Wilfried Happio managed to strike back, despite the dramatic warm-up. Photo: SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP After the race, he must have bled from his nose when he lined up in the press zone. – I do not want to talk about what happened. I felt good during the race, and I am happy that I succeeded, Happio said according to RMC Sport. NO BANDAGE: The eye patch was replaced with sunglasses and a smile after the race. Photo: SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP – Outrageous More talkative was the coach, who was completely shaken by the incident. – Someone jumped on Happio and hit him. There was a man who came from nowhere, and threw himself on him. I am completely goalless, says coach Olivier Vallaeys to L’Equipe. The episode itself is said to have taken place on a warm-up track next to the main track itself. The man is said to have had a bracelet that gave him access to the event itself, and thus managed to get on the track. He is said to have hit Happio several times in the face, before the coach intervened and was able to stop the attack. PALLEN: Silver medalist Ludvy Vaillant, gold medalist Wilfried Happio and bronze medalist Victor Coroller. Photo: SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP Must have been arrested According to RMC Sport, the municipal police were called. They arrived quickly in the city and are said to have arrested the person. The exact cause of the attack is unknown. The coach does not understand how such a thing can happen. – We’re in shock. It’s one big mess. It’s outrageous, but the man was arrested and Wilfred is fine. After the race, Happio will have to go to the hospital for further examinations. At the same time, the French Athletics Federation and the city of Caen will file a complaint.
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