The Summer Olympics in Paris have given us dozens of scenes of victory, but alongside the overjoyed winners there were also inconsolable athletes who were not dealt a lucky blow at the crucial moment.
Here are some of the worst mishaps that occurred during the 2024 Games, from falls to trips to pesky bacteria.
A merciless pole vault
We hardly need to explain why Anthony Ammirati failed to clear the high bar, because his unfortunate shot to the crotch went around the world… in countless replays and memes. His Olympic dreams may have been shattered, but his internet fame was forever secured in that moment.
Painful pile-up in the men’s 500-meter race
The pileup on August 7, which featured not one but two chaotic runs, resulted in several runners falling. In the first run, four runners fell in a chain reaction, prompting one commentator to say, “We’re lying with our hands on our heads in shock.” In the next lap, U.S. runner Abdihamid Nur fell and a cameraman got too close to the action as he entered the course.
Fall in the women’s keirin quarterfinals
Chinese cyclist Liying Yuan had to be escorted off the course on Thursday after causing a multi-bike crash. The accident began when she tried to overtake Dutch cyclist Steffie van der Peet, causing them both and Nicky Degrendele of Belgium to fall. According to the Associated Press, Van der Peet suffered “a torn racing suit and bloody burns.”
Disgusted by the Seine?
Several triathletes who swam in the Seine later suffered gastrointestinal problems, although no one could directly attribute their ailments to swimming in the famous French river – which, according to the Washington Post, had just undergone a €1.4 billion cleanup operation.
Water quality fluctuated throughout the Games, and swimming was cancelled on days when tests showed high levels of bacteria. Those who fell ill included Portuguese triathletes Vasco Vilaça and Melanie Santos, and Swiss athlete Adrien Briffod. Belgian athlete Claire Michel attributed her illness to a virus.
Controversy over scoring in gymnastics
Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu won a bronze medal with her scores on August 5… until a coach for U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles successfully appealed to the judges and increased Chile’s score. She was awarded the bronze medal instead. Barbosu burst into tears when she saw the corrected scores.
The U-turn was condemned by both Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who decided to boycott the closing ceremony because of the “dishonorable” decision, and Olympic great Nadia Comăneci, who wrote on X: “I can’t believe we are playing with the mental health and emotions of athletes in this way.”
Chile’s victory was later annulled and it looked as though she would be stripped of her bronze medal. However, the USA has protested again and provided a video showing that her appeal, which the Court of Appeal for Sport said was submitted too late, was actually submitted on time. What happens next for Chiles, Barbosu and the bronze medal remains to be seen.
relay
The US team’s relay runners Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman, Kyree King and Fred Kerley finished seventh on August 2 and were ultimately disqualified for a baton pass that was deemed illegal.
Former Olympian Carl Lewis described the incident as “unacceptable” and called for fundamental changes in the athletics team’s strategy.
High jumper loses wedding ring and almost misses the Games
Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi, who carried the Italian national team flag at the opening ceremony on the Seine, later said that he had lost his wedding ring in the famous river.
He wrote a moving apology to his wife Chiara, saying the ring “will remain forever in the riverbed of the city of love… I believe yesterday’s misdeed has a very poetic side and if you want, we will throw yours into the river too so that they can stay together forever.” He added that it would be a perfect excuse to “renew our wedding vows and get married again.”
As he announced on Instagram, Tamberi later had to take a break from the competition because he was suffering from a high fever and what appeared to be kidney stones. However, he returned in time to compete in his category.
