Runner Loses Out on Bronze by Celebrating Too Soon

Raising your arms in victory while crossing the finish line looks like a pretty satisfying way to celebrate a big win—but sometimes, runners jump the gun.

Such was the case for Molly Huddle, who looked certain to win third place in the 10,000-meter race at the World Athletics Championships on Monday in Beijing, but as slow-motion footage of the event reveals all too painfully, the American lifted her arms to celebrate a moment too soon, slowing her down in the final paces and allowing her teammate Emily Infeld to edge her out for Bronze.

“It’s painful to watch,” Huddle told Universal Sports, saying that Infeld “had this once-in-a-lifetime moment. I feel like it kind of slipped through my fingers.”

[NBC Sports]