Epic act of sportsmanship after Olympics runner collapses

An act of sheer class has stunned the Olympics world after a heartbreaking incident unfolded on at the Paris athletics stadium.

Olympic sprinter Lucia Moris had to be carried off on a stretcher after collapsing to the ground in agony during the women’s 100m sprint heats on Friday night (AEST).

The 23-year-old appeared to sustain an injury mid-way through the race and was visibly distressed while motionless on the ground as the rest of the runners bolted to the finish line.

The South Sudanese athlete was left all alone in the middle of the straight with no medical staff insight as Natacha Ngoye went on to win with a time of 11.34 seconds.

As the athlete from Congo crossed the line there were immediate fears for Moris with replays showing she fell to the ground after clutching at her right leg in agony.

South Sudan's Lucia Moris did not finish. Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

Lucia Moris of Team South Sudan was briefly motionless. Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images.

Lucia Moris was conscious. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images.

And she was still lying on the floor several minutes later as the rest of the morning sessions’ heats were delayed.

A stretcher was brought on by medics and she was eventually carried off on it.

Moris was racing in the preliminary rounds, which are made up of unfancied runners who race for a chance to qualify for the main heats of the prestigious event.

In a cruel twist, Moris’s Tokyo Olympics also ended in tragic fashion when she suffered another leg injury and left the track in a wheelchair.

In the frantic seconds that unfolded immediately after other runners crossed the line on Friday night, Loation runner Silina Pha Aphay was seen turning back down the track and running to aid Moris.

Silinia Pha Aphay went back as quick as she could. Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP.

Silina Pha Aphay checked on her competitor. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images.

Pha Aphay was also seen motioning towards officials to go attend to the runner who had fallen in the lane next to her own.

“We are athletes,” Pha Aphay told reporters.

“We are 100m – the same. All 100m athletes have to know how being hurt feels. And this is a big competition. It’s a big dream to come here. But you get hurt here. So everybody knows the feeling.”

South Sudan's Lucia Moris is carried on a stretcher. Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP.

She was put on a stretcher. Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images.

The next heats were delayed. Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP.

Turkmenistan’s Valentina Meredova also followed Pha Aphay’s lead and came back to check on Moris.

Pha Aphay was seen staying by Moris’ side as the medicos strapped the injured runner onto a stretcher and took her away to a medical centre at the Stade de France.

Pha Aphay finished sixth in her heat and 22nd overall and did not progress to the first main official heat.

She will be leaving France a winner in the eyes of the world.

Elsewhere, Aussie Bree Masters set a piece of history for Australia when she moved through to the semi-finals of the event, become the first Aussie woman to make the last 16 of the 100m since Melinda Gainsford-Taylor at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.