Kosgei, 32, was in the lead in the IAAF Bronze label race in the Polish capital before dropping in a heap and, bizarrely, there was no medical team in sight to help the stricken athlete.
She’d opened up a near three-minute lead when disaster struck, and for another three minutes there was no help, absolutely no one in sight until two runners approached her.
While there are obvious questions as to why an IAAF bronze label event would be so poorly organised, even more disturbing is the thought that this may not have happened to one of the local athletes.
“I missed my water from 30km to 40km,” said Kosgei, on arrival at the airport in Nairobi on Monday.
“I was still strong, but after that I just found myself on the ground.
“I was already dehydrated, my legs were paralysed. I just found myself lying down with no assistance from anybody from the race.
“It was something like negligence.”
As she was left prone with only the inexperienced runner to attend to her, Ethiopian Bekelu Beji strode past both of them and went on to win the women’s race.
“I laid there for fifteen minutes and no one was willing to help me. I didn’t receive any assistance from anyone” said Kosgei, whose medical reports indicated she suffered severe dehydration and low sugar.
“I’m ok. I’ve recovered. I feel traumatised but I’m strong and can make it again,” a smiling Kosgei said.
Watch her speak here:
Meanwhile, organisers of the event have released a statement claiming they didn’t come to Kosgei’s rescue in order for her not to be disqualified.
“When the athlete fell down, the leading car stopped and we contacted her manager and the ambulance but the athlete was still struggling to continue with the race. According to the international regulations, we are not supposed to help her because she will be disqualified,” said Magdalena Srocka from Warsaw Marathon Foundation.
The IAAF has yet to react to the incident.
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