The U.S. Olympian who earned worldwide praise when she helped up another runner after the two of them tumbled to the track during a race at the Rio Olympics has been named grand marshal of a parade in her Massachusetts hometown.
Abbey D'Agostino has been selected to lead the Topsfield Fair's Grand Parade on Saturday.
D'Agostino and New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin fell during a heat of the woman's 5,000-meter race. D'Agostino, with a torn knee ligament, helped Hamblin to her feet and they both finished.
D'Agostino, who attended Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield, was lauded for capturing the Olympic spirit.
Fair General Manager Jim O'Brien tells The Salem News that D'Agostino displayed sportsmanship and courage while in extreme pain.
The agricultural fair traces its roots back nearly 200 years.
