Olympic Games star 'escorted to medical services' in worrying scenes in Paris... as details emerge about health battle

Aussie national champion Matthew Clarke has been labelled 'brave' after competing at the Olympic Games with a virus.

Clarke, 29, collapsed to the Paris track after finishing dead last in the men's 3000m steeplechase heats, clearly in distress following the gruelling race.

His teammate Ben Buckingham, who also failed to qualify, later told Nine that Clarke had been struggling with a virus in the build up to his race.

'That's just so brave. He suffered the whole way around, Australia's national champion, Matthew Clarke, but he was determined to finish here in Paris and finish he has,' Nine's Gerard Whateley said as Clarke crossed the line.

'He's now collapsed to the track, he did well to stay on his feet, I suspect, the whole way round, as he dropped further and further behind.

'But in his own way, that's blood and guts running.'

Whateley later disclosed that Clarke required medical attention after the race. 

'We're being told that he was escorted to medical services after his heat and cleared for return to the warm up track, where he is being monitored by Australian medical staff.

'So that's as good a news as we could have hoped for, given what we all saw together.'