Erbacher fights on after fall

ATHLETICS: Toowoomba’s Brielle Erbacher smashed to the track in two brutal falls over the barriers in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, but she won the hearts of the crowd at the Alexander Stadium by completing the last 1000m of the race by stopping before each hurdle and then climbing over them.

“I was not going to not finish, as hard as it was,’’ she said after the extraordinary race.

Erbacher first fell at the hurdle at the 2000m mark but bravely continued on.

But then, fatigued by the quick pace of the leaders Jackline Chepkoech of Kenya and Ugandan Peruth Chemutai, she fell over a second hurdle just 200m further into the race.

“(I’m feeling) pretty s***, to be honest. I tried to stick with it but my legs just went,’’ she said, her stomach looking red raw from the falls, and appearing in shock.

“I hit a couple of barriers, I am not sure what happened, I just couldn’t jump,’’ she said.

“That is what happens when you start out a bit hard I guess.”

At that point the event was clearly over for Erbacher and she was well out of contention but she wanted to finish, and at each subsequent hurdle she stopped and by using her hands to steady herself she climbed up and over the barriers and the water jump.

With the roar of the crowd encouraging the 23-year-old to keep going Erbacher finished in 10min 59.64s, nearly a lap behind winner Chepkoech’s 9min 15.68s.

Erbacher said it was the hardest race of her life.

“Definitely, It would be weirder to pull out, it’s easier to finish and get to the line rather than falling off to the side.’’