Jamaica's Andrew Hudson Runs 200M Race With Glass Shards in Eye After Cart Crash

Advancing to the final of the men's 200-meter race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, is impressive enough under any circumstances.

Jamaica's Andrew Hudson did it with shards of glass in his right eye.

Eddie Pells of the Associated Press reported Hudson and other athletes were riding in a cart to their 200-meter semifinal race on Thursday when another cart hit theirs and sent a volunteer—who World Athletics deemed "fine"—tumbling out of it.

Yet the crash sent shards of glass into Hudson's eye, and he ended up competing with blurred vision after doctors flushed some of them out. He finished in fifth place, and track officials allowed him to advance to the final given the circumstances.

The final typically features eight runners, but Friday's event will feature nine following the ruling.

"I did the best I could do," Hudson said. "I was sitting in the middle of the room for like 20 minutes, trying to have a decision if I was going to compete or not. I worked hard to be here. And even under circumstances, everybody has hurdles in life. If I can run I'm going to try my best. So I tried."

American Noah Lyles was also in the cart but still competed and posted Thursday's fastest time of 19.76 seconds. He is looking to defend his 200-meter crown.

"Survived a crash and still got the fastest time going into the final," Lyles wrote on Instagram. "Thank you God for watching over me."

As for Hudson, he said: "It was scary. It's my eyesight. That's more important. I'm not going to run track forever, but it just happens."