In a display of true sportsmanship, distance runners Abbey D’Agostino of the US and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand stopped mid-race to help each other after falling in the women’s 5,000m qualifying heat at the Rio Olympics 2016.

With five laps remaining in the semifinals of the event, the New Zealand runner tumbled after clipping the heel of a rival in front of her. D’Agostino, 24, tried to help Hamblin despite her leg buckling. It took a few seconds, but both women eventually stood up and continued the race.

The two competitors finished the race last and were seen hugging each other before D’Agostino was taken away in a wheelchair.

Although Hamblin and D’Agostino failed to meet the qualifying time for the heat, both have been included in the final event on Friday after protests from their teams. However, it is unclear at this stage whether D’Agostino will be fit to compete.

The two athletes weren’t the favourites to win medals to begin with, but thanks to their actions they have won social media’s hearts.

Was Ellen Degeneres racist?

American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres caused outrage on Twitter when she posted an image of herself riding Olympian Usain Bolt.

In the meme, following the Jamaican runner’s big win in the 100m event, a photoshopped DeGeneres can be seen riding on his back. Alongside it, she had written: "This is how I’m running errands from now on. #Rio2016."

Social media called her out for indirectly referring to him as a slave, a horse or some sort of property.

The Bolt meme once again exposed Twitter as the unforgiving medium it is. DeGeneres responded to the criticism coming in from every direction.

The bellyflop gold goes to...

On Tuesday, reigning Russian Olympic diving champion Ilya Zakharov landed an uncharacteristic bellyflop to finish last in the semi-finals at Rio.

He received a score of 0.0 qualifying for one of the more embarrassing dives seen this summer. The Olympic gold medalist failed to complete the last spin of his routine and faceplanted into the pool instead.

The bellyflop churned up a large splash on social media.

The Olympic musical

American gymnast Simone Biles has been creating and breaking all kinds of records at the Olympics this year. Thanks to her fourth gold medal, the 19-year-old superstar has realised all of her Olympic dreams in Rio de Janeiro. And now Biles's celebrity crush, actor Zac Efron, helped make the experience better by showing up in Brazil to congratulate her.