A CAMERAMAN at the World Athletics Championships went to all new extremes to try and grab the perfect shot.
They just happened to nearly derail the final of the men’s 3000m steeplechase in the process.
An extra obstacle was added to the steeplechase in the form of a wandering cameraman – on top of the 28 barriers and seven water jumps.
Olympic champion Soufiane El-Bakkali of Morocco eventually won the race, but social media was sent into meltdown after just one lap.
The field were nearly sent comically tumbling over each other when a stray cameraman wandered straight into the middle of the track.
The cameraman, who was filming another event, was completely oblivious to the steeplechase that was taking place on the track.
And as he wandered aimlessly down the track with his back to the runners, the entire field were forced to take evasive action.
Fortunately all 15 of the World Championship runners managed to dodge the dawdling cameraman.
Team USA’s Evan Jager said on the incident: “I was a little worried that he was going to dart one way or another, right at the last second.
“But thankfully he didn’t realise we were there until we all passed him.”
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Social media meanwhile found the entire debacle hilarious.
Canadian athlete Justyn Knight said on Twitter: “Cameraman trying to catch angles never seen before in the steeplechase??”
Meanwhile a fan joked: “They should add a cameraman obstacle to all future steeplechase competitions.”
Another added: “Cameraman on the track in the 3000m steeplechase final is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in track (glad the runners all successfully avoided him).”
Eventually El-Bakkali of Morocco won the gold medal after he kicked for the line 200m from the finish.
Lamecha Girma took silver for Ethiopia, with reigning world champion Conseslus Kipruto winning bronze for Kenya.
