Watch: Overenthusiastic cameraperson causes chaos at World Championship steeplechase finals

The cameraperson, who was positioned close to the finish line, jumped on the tracks in the middle of the event, forcing the runners to change their direction in order to avoid a collision.

The 3000m steeplechase finals at the ongoing World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon witnessed a bizarre incident as a cameraman became an obstruction for the participants. The cameraperson, who was positioned close to the finish line, jumped on the tracks in the middle of the event, forcing the runners to change their direction in order to avoid a collision.

Athletes in the men's 3000m steeplechase final run around a cameraman on the track on Day 4 of the World Athletics Championships (AFP)

While the runners did notice and changed the direction, the cameraperson, who was engaged in possibly taking the best shot, seemed unaware of the proceedings ankept walking backwards. The incident saw several reactions from across the world, making it the highlight of the event, which was won by Olympic champion Soufiane El-Bakkali.

Here is the video:

Taking note of the incident, Canadian long distance runner and Olympian Justyn Knight reacted: “Camera man trying to catch angles never seen before in the steeple chase??”

Here are other reactions:

Meanwhile, India's Avinash Sable, who was one of the participant finished 11th in the final. The 27-year-old Sable clocked 8:31.75, way below his season's and personal best of 8:12.48, which is a national record.

It was, however, the slowest 3000m steeplechase final race in World Championships history with all the three medal winners clocking way below their season's and personal best. The runners ran a tactical race with medal in mind.

Morocco's Bakkali, who has a season leading time of 7:58.28, won the gold, clocking 8:25.13, while Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma (SB: 7:58.68), who won silver in both the Tokyo Games and last World Championships, finished second in 8:26.01.

Kenya's defending champion Conseslus Kipruto (SB: 8:08.76) was third with a time of 8:27.92.

Kipruto had won gold in the last edition with a time of 8:01.35.

Sable had qualified for the final after finishing third in heat number 3 and seventh overall with a time of 8:18.75. He had finished 13th in the last edition of the championships in Doha in 2019 with the then national record time of 8:21.37.

The Indian Armyman from a village in Maharashtra's Beed district was at 14th spot at the 1km mark with a time of nearly 3 minutes (2:59.46) and remained there at the 2km mark with 5:53.72. He moved up to 12th in the last lap and to 11th in the final 100m stretch.

Sable, who has earlier served at the Siachen Glaciers before taking to athletics, has been on a national record breaking spree in recent times. His latest best was 8:12.48 when he finished fifth at the prestigious Diamond League Meeting in Rabat last month.

-with PTI inputs