The pair fell in the race, and hugged as they completed it.

In an Olympic Games marred by accusations of doping and ill-will between nations, this was a moment to help restore faith in the ideals of sportsmanship.

Midway through the second women's 5000m heat the pack bunched up and New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin checked her stride.

​Behind her American runner Abbey D'Agostino clipped her legs and they both stumbled.

D'Agostino was quicker to her feet. Stuck on the track, Hamblin was stunned. "When I went down it was like, 'what's happening? Why am I on the ground?' " she said.

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GETTY IMAGES New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin (left) encourages American Abbey D'Agostino to get up and finish in their women's 5000m heat.

"And suddenly there's this hand on my shoulder, like 'get up, get up, we have to finish this!' "I'm so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me. That girl is the Olympic spirit right there.

What sportsmanship from Abbey D'Agostino and New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin, helping each other after 5000m heats fall. pic.twitter.com/71dYWd8FBc — Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) August 16, 2016

PATRICK SMITH/GETTY IMAGES Kiwi Nikki Hamblin (right) and American Abbey D'Agostino thank each after a fall in the women's 5000m heats.

Wonderful moment of sportsmanship from Kiwi Nikki Hamblin, who tripped up and then waited for American Abbey D'Agostino during 5000m heat — Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) August 16, 2016

"I've never met her before. Isn't that so amazing?"

But once both were upright, it was apparent that D'Agostino was the worse off of the pair. She urged Hamblin to go on, but in a moment reminiscent of John Landy's immortalised hand to fellow Australian Ron Clarke in 1956, the Kiwi waited for the American before setting off again.

"Someone had to go help her," Hamblin said.

"And if I could even give her one per cent back of what she gave me when she helped me get off the track, that would be amazing.

"She was like, 'go on, go on, I don't know if I can run, keep going, keep going!' "

"She was saying, 'I can't put weight on my knee.' It was buckling."

But go on D'Agostino did. Clearly pained, she shuffle-limped on, drawing rapturous applause from those in attendance at the Estadio Olimpico.

"She ran four-and-a-half laps barely being able to run," Hamblin said in awe of the woman with whom she will be forever tied.

Both of them knew their chances in the race were shot but ran on to finish. They embraced at the finish line and a wheelchair was brought out for D'Agostino who could not run a step more. The pair were the last over the line – Hamblin finished in 16.43.61, D'Agostino in 17.10.02.

Later, race referees reinstated both Hamblin and the American, as well as a third runner also affected, into Saturday's (NZT) final.

Whether or not D'Agostino can start remains to be seen, but she will always have Hamblin's admiration.

"Being such a good human being, she's going to go so far."

Moreover Hamblin – who had suffered a similar fall at the World Championships – could see the bigger picture.

"You come into an Olympic Games and everyone wants to win, everyone wants to medal.

"But really as disappointing as this experience is there is so much more to this than a medal.

"When someone asks me what happened in Rio in 20 years time, that's my story."

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