On social media, many viewers were stunned after Olympic marathon runner Sinead Diver was criticized by her coach after she pulled out just 1.2 kilometers into the race.
On Twiiter, the coach, Telford Critique, slammed Sinead Diver for pulling out early in the race due to severe quadricep cramps.
Sinead Diver pulled out just 1.2 km into race at Olympic
Previously, Olympic marathon runner Sinead Diver faced a wave of criticism and debate after her early exit from the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
According to the report, the 47-year-old runner withdrew just 1.2 kilometers into the race.
Sinead Diver gave quadricep cramps as the cause.
This incident has reignited controversy surrounding Athletics Australia’s selection decisions. Additionally, it has brought attention to the intense scrutiny athletes face.
Sinead Diver faced controversy after her withdrawal
Diver, who was forced to pull out early in the race due to severe quadricep cramps,.
Sinead Diver’s abrupt withdrawal from the marathon has drawn sharp criticism, especially in light of the heated debate leading up to the Games.
Then, she faced backlash online and scrutiny from the athletics community.
Before the Paris Olympics, the exclusion of four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman from the team had already caused uproar.
Weightman, despite having a faster qualifying time, was replaced by Jess Stenson. The decision to select Stenson, who finished 13th in the marathon, over Weightman led to significant controversy.
Additionally, Driver also revealed that she had been subjected to online abuse as a result of the controversial decision.
After the incident, Weightman’s coach, Dick Telford, publicly criticized Diver.Dick Telford, who coached Lisa Weightman for 15 years, has publicly criticized Athletics Australia for their selection decisions
In a Twitter post, Telford suggested that the management team made a significant error in their choices. He implied that closer ties between coaches and selection bodies could have prevented such mistakes. Telford believes that better collaboration might have led to more favorable outcomes.
Dick Telford, whos goes by @LisaWeightman wrote:
“After 15y as your coach @LisaWeightman. I have to admit you chose the wrong man. Better to have an @AthleticsAust employee coach/manager close to selection/management action. Sinead and Gen (both Nic Bideau), Jess (Adam Didyk) and Andy replacing Brett (both Bideau), chose wisely.”
Dick Telford’s post quickly went viral and sparked debate on social media.
In the comment selection, many viewers criticized Diver for pulling out just 1.2 km into the race. However, others also defended her, suggesting that the incident of the marathon at the Olympic Games is not her mistake.
One person: If you are injured, you are injured. There is nothing to be sorry about for pulling out. 42km is a long way to run with an injury. Better to live and fight another day.
A second wrote: You cannot start a marathon if you are carrying an injury and expect to finish in a decent time..Do believe another runner was omitted from the team who was actually in good health.
While a third commented: For a runner this normally means she was carrying an injury and to keep going would make it infinitely worse so correct decision
Sinead Diver then responded to the incident.
Following her withdrawal, Sinead Diver addressed the situation, revealing the impact of online negativity on her performance and well-being.
In a heartfelt statement, she explained that her marathon withdrawal was due to sudden quadricep spasms.
She clarified that it was not caused by the plantar issue she had managed before the race.
She wrote: ‘In the warm-up, my quads started to spasm without any warning. I hoped it would resolve as I started running, but it didn’t, and they seized up within the first kilometre to the point that I couldn’t bend my knees.
Diver expressed deep disappointment at not finishing the marathon but also acknowledged that the stress contributed to her physical breakdown.