ATHLETE TAKES FIRST PLACE AFTER TURNING A FALL INTO A SOMERSAULT
It's not ideal to fall in public, and what about during a race? It may result in injury or perhaps the loss of the tournament. But not for Oregon adolescent track star Brooklyn Anderson. Brooklyn took first place in the girls' 100-meter hurdles at the Oregon State Track & Field Championships after tripping and falling to the ground. According to a video, Brooklyn, a junior at Thurston High School, was comfortably ahead of the field when her right knee got caught on the last hurdle, causing onlookers to scream. She completed a double somersault, crossing the finish line nearly with her back on the ground, instead of falling to the ground. She prevailed in spite of tripping and the peculiar conclusion.
She told The Oregonian, "All I remember is just somersaulting over that line and going back to my gymnastics career." "I knew to just keep rolling, to keep going, because I truly wanted to get first, even though I had no idea how far behind everyone else I was." The young athlete also says that before she performed that race-saving move, no one had ever applauded her as loudly. "I was just so proud," she recalled, recalling the moment she saw her name in first place on the board. Just incredibly joyful.
Brooklyn thanked her fellow racers for a unique championship and shared a video of her crash on Instagram. What a season to remember. "Year 3 will go down in history," she writes. "I want to thank everyone for their support, but especially the most gorgeous females a girl could finish a marathon with. You guys are fantastic. GO, COLTS."
Brooklyn competed in the girls' 100-meter sprint, placing fourth; the girls' long jump, placing third; and the girls' 4-by-100-meter relay, placing 10th, in addition to her now-famous 100-meter hurdles event.
