Tim Van de Velde’s Classy Gesture at World Athletics Championships

Here’s a breakdown‍ of the provided text, summarizing the key events and Tim Van de Velde’s⁢ reaction:

What happened:

* Fall during the race: Tim Van de Velde‌ fell during the 3000m steeplechase race at the World⁣ Championships in Tokyo.
* Helping a fellow runner: ‌ A​ Colombian runner,Carlos San Martin,had also fallen earlier in the race.⁤ Van de Velde, after getting back ‌on his feet, helped ‍San Martin finish the race, supporting him to the​ finish line. He even received a yellow​ card for briefly stepping off the track to do so. San Martin finished‍ just a‌ hundredth⁣ of a second ahead of ‌Van de‍ Velde.
* Recurring issue: ‍ This was the third major championship where Van de Velde has fallen during a steeplechase race.

Tim Van de Velde’s reaction:

* Instinctive gesture: he said⁣ helping San ‍Martin was a natural, automatic response (“This gesture went without saying”).
* Disappointment: He expressed deep disappointment about his own fall, stating he felt he ⁢had good ‍form and the fall ruined his chances.
* Taking duty: He ⁣didn’t blame external factors, instead attributing the ⁢fall to ‍his ⁣own “stupidity, nonchalance, undoubtedly a little lack of concentration.”
* Modesty: He downplayed the importance of his act of sportsmanship, calling it “not ​much” despite the attention it received.