University of Georgia Runner Impales Himself on Javelin

A University of Georgia sprinter is expected to make a full recovery after a deeply unfortunate accident during training Tuesday. Police say freshman runner Elijah Godwin, 19, was running backwards sprints when he accidentally impaled himself below his shoulder blade on a javelin that had been left sticking out of the ground, USA Today reports. Georgia track and field associate head coach Don Babbitt said there was blood coming out of Godwin's mouth, the Red & Black reports. A police report states that firefighters arrived within two minutes and cut part of the javelin off with an angle grinder.

The rest of the javelin was surgically removed in the hospital, where Godwin was treated for a punctured and collapsed lung. "We would like to express appreciation for all those who acted so quickly and efficiently in coming to the aid of Elijah," says University of Georgia Athletic Association director of sports medicine Ron Courson. Godwin's mother, Ginger Luby, tells WSB-TV that many team members, who are heading to the SEC Outdoor Championships in Arkansas this week, have visited him in the hospital. She says he hopes to be running with the team again within a couple of months. (More track and field stories.)