Just days after French gymnast Samir Ait Said broke his leg while vaulting during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a fellow Olympian sustained an injury of his own.
READ: French gymnast’s horrific leg break chills gymnastics arena
Armenia’s male representative in the weightlifting competition, Andranik Karapetyan, suffered a hyperextended elbow during the men’s 77-kg weightlifting finals on Thursday.
The 20-year-old athlete, who was a heavy favorite to win gold, attempted to hoist a 195-kg (429-lb) barbell in the clean and jerk competition, The Independent reported. Unfortunately, his arm crumbled under the weight of the bar and was gruesomely bent the wrong way.
The horrifying injury left him in screeching pain, as paramedics rushed to his aid before he walked off the stage while cradling his injured arm.
His Armenian trainer, meanwhile, was visibly shaken by the tragic turn of events and was seen covering his face in disbelief. The entire Riocentro Pavilion reportedly fell silent, with many in attedance unable to watch.
With Karapetyan unable to continue, Kazakhstan’s Nijat Rahimov shattered the clean and jerk world record at 77 kg with a lift of 214 kg, giving him an overall total of 379 kg. His amazing feat left him tied with reigning champion Lyu Xiaojun of China.
Karapetyan qualified in the Olympics after dominating the 2016 European Weightlifting Championships, as well as claiming bronze at the 2016 World Championships. Khristian Ibarrola