LYNCHBURG, VA — This week's championship 4x200-meter relay event ended in disaster when a runner accidentally, tripped, punched, and attacked her rival with a sword.

The incident took place on the final turn, as Alaina Engle seemingly assaulted fellow athlete Kaelyn Taylor as she pulled even with her. Engle said following the race that it was unintentional.

"It was just an accident. I probably shouldn't have been running with a sword that day," Engle said. "Now everyone's mad at me and they think I did it on purpose just because I brought a sword to a relay race."

Engle claimed her hand slipped, leading her to involuntarily trip Taylor, strike her multiple times with her fist, and hack away at her with her sword.

The crowd of spectators was too stunned to intervene, wondering where a r

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