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On Monday night, Bahamian runner Shaunae Miller nabbed the gold medal in the women's 400-meter race, beating Team USA's Allyson Felix. But the way she did it was controversial: She stumbled, then dove over the finish line.
"I just tried to give all I had," Miller told USA Today. "I didn't have more to give. The only thing going through my mind was, I have to get the gold medal." Miller added that she totally blacked out during that key moment. "I don't know kind of what happened," she said. "My mind went blank. The only thing I was thinking was the gold medal and the next thing I was on the ground."
Miller's dive caused a lot of controversy on social media, with some fans insisting divers should stick to the swimming pool, while others saying she should be praised for doing anything for the gold.
The move might not be typical, but it's completely legal. According to NBC, here's the rule: "The first athlete whose torso (as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, legs, hands or feet) reaches the vertical plane of the closest edge of the finish line is the winner." Nothing in the rules dictates that you need to be upright while crossing the finish line.
Vox notes that most athletes, whether they're sprinters or baseball players sliding into first base, don't dive because it's rarely any faster than running. The only way it works to your advantage is if you time it correctly, which Miller clearly figured out. Track coaches rarely teach the move, but they don't prohibit it either.
Felix told the Today show that she was "not too used to seeing" a dive like that in a race. "It happens every now and then but it's not too common," she said. Even still, Felix's silver medal makes her the most decorated U.S. female track athlete of all time.
