Olympic pole vaulter who failed after unfortunate body part caught bar breaks silence after going viral
An Olympic pole vaulter who crashed out of the men's qualifiers in a surprisingly NSFW way has opened up about the mishap.
You might say you’re watching the Olympics for the sport, but let’s be honest it’s also all the drama, the excitement and the viral moments.
And alongside the likes of Snoop Dogg in his full horse-riding get up, Simone Biles being a GOAT to an Olympian ‘rawdogging’ events, yesterday (3 August) birthed another big moment. Emphasis on big.
During the pole vault event, an athlete had a rather unfortunate mishap as a body part caught the bar. Yep, his d**k.
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Frenchman Anthony Ammirati seemed all set to clear 5.70 metres when his knee collided with the bar, followed by his apparent bulge. Of course, this moment quickly went viral on social media and he’s now broken his silence.
The 21-year-old was understandably frustrated by the crotch collision as it denied him his qualification, taking away his chances of a medal.
Ammirati didn’t directly reference his manhood misfortune but said it was ‘a big disappointment’.
He told the French Athletics Federation: “I’m a bit gutted, because I didn’t miss anything on the third attempt at 5.70 m. What I did miss was a bit of jumping in training to fine-tune the settings. Just a technical session.”
The athlete, who won gold at the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2022, continued: “I was 100 percent physically, but I was missing a bit of pole vault.
“The conditions were good. It’s the first time I’ve started a competition without any stress. As I was a total outsider, I only had one goal: to interact with the audience. I was almost there.”
Social media obviously had an absolute (track and) field day when it was caught on camera yesterday – made worse by the slo-mo editing – as users took to X to say: “He’s got to learn to pack better before he travels.”
Another added: “Man, that's a tough way to lose out on the Olympics. But also, uh, quite the unique reason! Wonder how that conversation went with the coach.”
Ammirati’s teammate Thibaut Collet finished just one place ahead, in 11th, and also missed out on the next round of the event.
"When people say that the Games are different, well, it really is different," he said.
"I thought it wouldn't necessarily affect me by arriving with potentially the third world performance of the year, but that doesn't mean anything.
"Today, I missed my competition. I knew that this qualification was going to be tough and now I'm taking it in the face.
"The Olympic Games are over. I'm going to pack my bags before going home."
Team GB's current medal count - 35
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
- Tom Dean, Kieran Bird, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matthew Richards, Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 4x200m freestyle
- Alex Yee: Men's triathlon
- Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott and Georgina Brayshaw: Rowing - Women's quadruple sculls
- Bryony Page: Gymnastics - Women's individual trampoline
- Emily Craig and Imogen Grant: Rowing - Women's lightweight double sculls
- Ben Maher, Harry Charles and Scott Brash: Equestrian - Team jumping
- Sholto Carnegie, Rory Gibbs, Morgan Bolding, Jacob Dawson, Charlie Elwes, Tom Digby, James Rudkin and Tom Ford: Rowing: Men's eight
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
- Kieran Reilly: Cycling - Men's BMX Freestyle
- Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten: Rowing - Women's coxless four
- Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Thomas George: Rowing - Men's pair
- Benjamin Proud: Swimming - Men's 50m freestyle
- Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 200m individual medley
- Amber Rutter: Shooting - Women's skeet
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
- Beth Potter: Women's triathlon
- Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson: Diving - Women's synchronised 10m platform
- Oliver Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson: Rowing - Men's coxless four
- Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde: Rowing - Women's double sculls
- Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding: Diving - men's synchronised 3m springboard
- Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar, Holly Dunford, Emily Ford, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Harriet Taylor and Annie Campbell-Orde - Rowing: Women's eight
- Emma Wilson: Sailing: Women's windsurfing
- Jake Jarman: Artistic gymnastics - Men's floor exercise
- Lottie Fry, Becky Moody and Carl Hester: Equestrian - Team Grand Prix Special
- Alex Wilson-Haydock, Laviai Nielsen, Samuel Reardon, Nicole Yeargin: Athletics - Mixed 4x400m relay
- Lottie Fry & Glamourdale: Equestrian - Individual dressage
Jess Battison