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(NBC)

Middle-distance runners Abbey D'Agostino of the United States and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand both took hard falls on the track in Rio during a preliminary heat in the women's 5,000 meters on Tuesday morning.

But it was what happened after their falls that was great, as D'Agostino and Hamblin helped each other up, made sure each was OK, and then finished their races, even though both looked hurt and finished much later than the rest of the field.

It was just an excellent display of sportsmanship on both sides.

The fall happened early in the race, as D'Agostino appeared to clip Hamblin with her spikes:

(NBC)

Both runners hit the track hard:

(NBC)

D'Agostino got up first, but rather than immediately taking off, she waited to make sure Hamblin was OK:

(NBC)

When Hamblin got back up, they both started to run. Both were visibly upset about what had happened:

(NBC)

Then D'Agostino's knee started to bother her:

(NBC)

When D'Agostino hit the track again, this time it was Hamblin who waited, making sure D'Agostino was OK to continue:

(NBC)

Finally, they both got on their way. Even though they'd been lapped by the field, both runners gutted it out to cross the finish line.

Here's D'Agostino at the finish:

(NBC)

Afterwards, she was greeted by Hamblin, and the two shared a nice moment:

(NBC)

Both runners were ultimately given exemptions that allowed them to advance, as exiting as a result of a nasty fall would be far too cruel. Hopefully their semifinal races will be a little bit smoother.

Here's video of the moment:

It's one of the biggest clichés in sports, but this moment is really what the Olympics are all about.

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