Australia shattered over 'absolutely horrible' moment at Olympics

Genevieve Gregson has spoken of her heartbreak after suffering a devastating injury on the final lap of the 3000m steeplechase at the Olympics on Wednesday night.

The Australian record holder revealed she ruptured her Achilles tendon in Wednesday night's final after falling at the final jump.

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Gregson, who turned 32 on Wednesday, crashed at the last water jump at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium and left the arena in a wheelchair in obvious distress.

She was treated by Australian medical staff and later posted a picture of herself on social media with her injured right leg in a support.

"I'm heartbroken & don't have the words right now to respond to you all but in short - ruptured Achilles on the last water jump," Gregson wrote.

"Happy Birthday me! Thank you for all the support & lovely messages. I'll try to respond in time.

"For now I need to mend my heart, soul & Achilles."

One of the most popular and well-known members of the Australian track and field team, Gregson was competing at her third Olympics.

Peruth Chemutai from Uganda won the steeplechase gold medal in nine minutes 01.45 seconds.

However it was the confronting scenes of Gregson laying in agony on the track and being taken out of the arena in a wheelchair that left Australian fans shattered.

Dramatic day for Australia in athletics at Olympics

On a dramatic day for Australia on the track, Peter Bol went within a whisker of a historic medal in the 800m, Ash Moloney is halfway to a potential podium finish in the decathlon and the Hull-Hall combination turned it on in the women's 1500m.

Day six of the track and field program at the Tokyo Olympics pretty much covered the whole gamut of emotions for Australia.

The Sudanese-born Bol sensed he had captured the heart of a nation after twice smashing the Australian 800m record in Tokyo en route to the final.

The 27-year-old pledged to employ the same plucky front-running approach in the decider and was as good as his word.

He led for a good portion of the final, only to be mowed down by Kenyans Emmanual Korir and Ferguson Rotich in the final straight and finish fourth.

Moloney, 21, is considered to be the next big thing by the Australian track and field cognoscenti.

Even so, sitting in second spot at the midway point of the decathlon, just 81 points behind Canada's Damian Warner, is exceeding all but the most optimistic of expectations.

To put his potential achievement in perspective, no Australian has ever finished better than sixth in an Olympic decathlon.

The nation is also still waiting for a first Olympic women's 1500m medallist.

That lofty aim may prove to be just beyond new national record holder Jessica Hull and Linden Hall on Friday night, but they have both put themselves in the mix with gutsy semi-final runs.

No other country will have more than one runner in the final.

with AAP

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