A Virginian high school sprinter has spoken out following allegations that her opponent 'attacked' her with a baton during a race.
On Friday (March 7), Brookville High School runner Kaelen Tucker suffered a concussion and a potential skull fracture after she was struck by a baton in the back of the head during the second leg of a 4x200 meter relay at Liberty University, Lynchburg.
The incident was captured in a now viral video, which clearly shows the teen getting hit by a competitor - although Alaila Everett, of I.C. Norcom High School, has insisted it was accidental.
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Tucker then proceeded to run off the pitch before falling down. Sharing her side of the events, Tucker told WSET ABC 13 on Friday (March 7): "So, on the back curve, I kind of got cut off, and I tried to pass her the first time, so I let her go ahead.
"I knew when I got fully on the curve that I was just going to have to push through past her. So, as we were coming up in the middle of the curve, we were bumping arms a lot. So, I got a little more on the outside of the curve to go around her.
"When I finally pushed through to get in front of her, that’s when she hit me in the head with the baton."
While her mom Tamarrow added: "The whole section just gasped.
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"We had family come from out of town, her godparents were here from Myrtle Beach. Everybody just gasped. When I saw her go down, all I could do is run out of the bleachers. I just knew I had to get to her.
"She was kind of hysterical because she just couldn’t believe that’s what had happened."
The video quickly went viral on social media, with many criticizing Everett and calling for her to be banned from the sport.
However, speaking to WAVYTV10, the young sprinter has told her side of the story and has insisted it was not intentional.
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Through tears, she said: “Everybody has feelings, so you're physically hurt but you are not thinking about my mental [health], right.
“They are going off of one angle.”
Telling her version of events she said: “After a couple times of hitting her with my baton, I got stuck behind her back like this and it rolled up her back.
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“I lost my balance, and when I pumped my arms again, she got hit.
“I know my intentions and I would never hit somebody on purpose."
Everett’s parents believe her version of events, and have insisted she wouldn’t intentionally try and hit an opponent.
The parents have also said they have now been served with court papers from the family of Tucker, as they want a protective order.
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Tucker's family have claimed Everett has not even attempted to apologize for the incident, however Everett has insisted she has attempted to, but that Tucker has not been 'receptive' and has blocked her on social media.
Joe Yates