MUNICH, Germany -- A 200-meter runner was forced to race solo after he nearly was hit in the head by a TV camera in his heat at the European Track and Field Championships on Thursday.

Paul Brizzel of Ireland ducked out of the way when an overhanging camera swung by him at the start of the heat. He finished last in 21.32 seconds and didn't qualify for the next round.

Officials decided to let Brizzel run the heat again alone later in the morning. Given a reprieve, he could only manage 21.19, still too slow to advance.

The Irish team protested, arguing the entire heat should have been rerun. The protest was rejected.

"I'm very annoyed,'' Brizzel said. "I went out there mentally prepared to run well. The proper outcome would have been for them to run the race again. Fair play to them for giving me another chance, but running on your own is difficult, although the crowd gave me every encouragement.

"I suppose I am lucky I didn't end up in intensive care with stitches in my head.''

There have been other problems at the meet.

On Tuesday, the winner of the men's 20-kilometer walk, Francisco Fernandez of Spain, pushed aside an official who suddenly stepped out in front of him just yards from stadium.

The same day, Britain's Anthony Whiteman had to jump over a television cable and narrowly avoided colliding with a cameraman after his 1,500-meter heat.

On Thursday evening, officials apparently awarded the 1,500-meter victory to both France's Mehdi Baala and defending champion Reyes Estevez of Spain, before deciding on the Frenchman as the gold medal winner. Both finished in 3:45.25 seconds.

Estevez completed a victory lap before the jury's ruling went Baala's way. Advanced timing had Baala ahead by .002 seconds.