Teenage relay runner attacked with baton by rival mid-race; Virginia; indoor track high school championships

A shocking attack marred the indoor track high school championships in the US state of Virginia when a relay runner was attacked with a baton by a rival during the race.

A video of the race posted on Facebook by the Heritage High School Track & Field showed Kaelen Tucker running the second leg of the 4x200m relay for Lynchburg's Brookville High School.

As she went around the bend to get past a rival from IC Norcom High School on the outside in a battle for second place, she was struck on the back of the head with a baton.

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The IC Norcom runner aggressively wound her arm back and deliberately struck Tucker, as gasps were heard from the crowd when Tucker stumbled and fell on the interior of the course.

The Norcom runner continued on her way as family and team trainers were seen rushing to Tucker's aid.

Local reports state Tucker is currently being treated for a concussion and a possible skull fracture.

The incident could lead to legal action. ABC13

The runner in question and her team were disqualified.

"I still can't believe it, I'm in shock," said Tucker according to local ABC affiliate WSET. "I'm still trying to take it all in, I can't believe it happened.

"When you go to the other side of the track, you have to cross into lane one, you have to merge in. As I was coming up on her, she kind of like made me get cut off a little bit, so I backed away.

"Then, as we got around the curve, she kept bumping me in my arm. Then finally we got off the curve, I like slowly started passing her and then that's when she just hit me with the baton and I fell off the track.

"I could feel like a headache coming up, so I just sat out. I recently went to the doctor, and they prescribed me with a concussion and a possible fractured skull."

Tucker's mother added: "No apologies. No coaches. No athlete. No anything. Even if it was an accident, which I don't believe it was... nothing," Tamarro Tucker said.

Tucker bows out of the race. ABC13

"Why did you do it, and why haven't you apologised?"

The Tucker family said they reached out to the parent of the runner who hit Kaelen and the athletic director at IC Norcom after the incident.

Both have apologised on behalf of the student. The sport's governing body has also opened an investigation.

It's unclear if the Tucker family is considering filing charges.