According to U.S. men’s gymnastics coach Mark Williams, the vaulting apparatus in the Rio Games’ main competition arena has “a little extra kick to it. It’s not quite the same solid block that we’re typically used to.” That little extra kick didn’t do French gymnast Samir Ait Said any favors. In Saturday’s men’s team preliminaries, Ait Said mistimed his landing and broke his leg.
Or, as USA Today described it:
Ait Said’s left leg snapped on his vault landing, the sharp crack heard throughout the arena. As he rolled over, clutching his leg just below the knee, his foot and the lower half of his shin dangled in the opposite direction of the rest of his leg.
Again according to USA Today, “The crowd applauded when Ait Said was finally loaded onto a stretcher, and he put a hand up in acknowledgment as he was taken out of the arena. He was taken to a local hospital, but [French team leader Corrine] Moustard-Callon said she didn’t have any additional information.”
You can watch the video of Ait Said’s injury below, which is very gruesome and you maybe shouldn’t watch if you are at all squeamish about these things. It was Kevin Ware–esque, is what I’m trying to say. Proceed with caution.
