Deaths at the Winter Olympics. Death of athletes during the Olympic Games
It doesn't matter when the Olympics are held, whether it's summer or winter, it's unique sporting event always accompanied by great joy. It's that special time when best athletes, literally from all over the world, come together to compete on behalf of their countries and nations. At the Olympic Games, both athletes and their supporters put aside all their differences and problems, as they are all united by such a powerful phenomenon as national pride. The world's greatest athletes compete with each other with respect and fair play. Crowds of fans admire their skills from stadium stands, while billions of people proudly watch the Olympic Games on television. However, these sports competitions did not always bring so much joy, happiness, pride and jubilation. Throughout its long history, the Olympic Games have also seen a number of bad moments, tragedies, cheating, unsportsmanlike behavior, serious injuries and even death. site researched Olympic history to compile a list of the worst moments that have ever happened in this largest sporting event. So, the 12 worst moments in the history of the Olympic Games.
The Worst Moments in Olympic History
1. Death of Francisco Lazaro
Francisco Lázaro was the first Portuguese Olympic marathon runner and standard bearer for the Portuguese Legation at the country's first ever Summer Olympics, the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. Unfortunately, Lázaro also became the first athlete to die during an Olympic event at the 30-kilometer marathon mark.
2. Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics
Adolf Hitler attended the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and was very pleased with the victories of his German athletes. However, his joy turned to disgust after African-American sprinter Jesse Owens won gold medal at 100 meters. After this, Hitler furiously left the stadium without even shaking Owens' hand.
3. First doping scandal
In 1960, at the Summer Olympics in Rome, the first doping scandal. It was one of the worst moments when Knud Enemark Jensen, a Danish cyclist, collapsed during a bicycle race and died the same day due to a skull fracture. An autopsy later revealed that the athlete's body contained illegal stimulants such as amphetamine and roniacol.
4. Pigeons Burnt Alive
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, live doves were released during the opening ceremony as a symbol of world peace. The worst part was that many of them were burned alive when the Olympic Cup was lit. As a result of protests following the incident, the last time live doves were released was at the opening ceremony in 1992 in Barcelona, hours before the flame was lit.
5. Cancellation of the Olympic Games due to wars
The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled due to wars. The 1940 Summer Olympics were scheduled to be held in Tokyo, but were canceled due to the sudden outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The next Olympic Games were supposed to be held in Helsinki, but the event was not held due to the winter war. Ultimately, the games were suspended indefinitely following the sudden outbreak of World War II. Only in 1948 they resumed again and took place in London.
6. Tonya Harding's attack on Nancy Kerrigan
In January 1994, Tonya Harding, a former American figure skating champion, hired a man to break her biggest competitor Nancy Kerrigan's leg so that she would be unable to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Kerrigan's leg was badly bruised during the attack, but was not broken. Fortunately, she fully recovered at the Olympic Games, where she won a silver medal. Harding later pleaded guilty to assault. This became her worst moment sports career. Tony was expelled from the Association Figure skating USA, she received 3 years probation, 500 hours of community service and a fine of $160,000.
7. Tlatelolco Massacre
Ten days before the start of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, the Mexican government violently suppressed protests against the authoritarian regime. These protests were organized by local students who tried to take advantage of the enormous media attention. As a result of the incident, these protests are now known as the Tlatelolco Massacre, where approximately 300 students and civilians were killed. This became the worst moment in the history of Mexico City.
8. Kozakevich’s indecent gesture
Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz, a Polish pole vaulter, won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. However, he is better known for his rude gesture towards the Soviet crowd, who tried to distract him during his speech with their whistles and hisses. In retaliation, Kozakiewicz showed the crowd an obscene "elbow gesture", demonstrating his contempt for the fans.
9. Death of Nodar Kumaritashvili
Nodar Kumaritashvili was a Georgian luger who died at the Winter Olympics. He died in hospital after a crash during morning training hours before the Olympic opening ceremony in Whistler, Canada. Kumaritashvili lost control of the sled and, on the last bend, flew out of the chute, hitting a metal column. The injuries received by the athlete turned out to be incompatible with life. The speed of the sled at the time of the incident exceeded 145 kilometers per hour. One of the worst and saddest moments in the history of the Olympics.
10. Greg Louganis's wound
American diver and four-time Olympic champion Louganis suffered a concussion after he hit his head on a diving board during the preliminary rounds of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He completed qualifying round, despite his injury, but no one knew at the time that the diver had been diagnosed with HIV six months before the games began. Theoretically, his blood in the pool could have infected other competitors who also had open wounds.
11. Injury of Samir Ait Said
At the Olympic Games, athletes suffer hundreds of different injuries. However, a horrific leg fracture that French gymnast Samir Ait Said received at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is definitely one of the worst moments that has ever happened at the games. After an unsuccessful landing, the Frenchman's leg dangled at a terrible angle.
12. Munich massacre
The worst and deadliest tragedy that has ever occurred on the main Olympic competition The Munich Massacre was a terrorist attack during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Eleven Israeli Olympic team members and a German policeman were taken hostage and ultimately killed by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September. For the first time in modern history Olympic Games competitions were suspended as a result of tragic events.
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Athlete from Georgia Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died during training on February 12 just before the start of the XXI Olympic Games, continued the list of tragedies that occurred at such competitions. The Georgian luger was unable to cope with the last turn and, at a speed of 145 kilometers per hour, flew over a low fence and hit a metal support.
The luge and bobsleigh complex in Whistler, 150 km from Vancouver, is considered one of the fastest and most unsafe in the world. Canadians were proud that bobsledders there were showing record results. For example, once four bobsledders accelerated here to a speed of 158 km/h. The 1,450-meter-long track has 16 turns, where the inclination angles reach 11 degrees, and in two sections even up to 20 degrees, and has one of the longest elevation differences - 152 meters. The track in Whistler has been repeatedly criticized by experts, saying that it was built in a hurry and has a number of errors and shortcomings. Complaints about the danger of the route could be heard from the athletes themselves and their coaches. Do not forget that the day before this accident, the luger from Romania Violeta Stramaturaru hit a limiter on the same track, but avoided dangerous injuries. Also, several athletes during test runs were also injured here.
The tragic incident with the Georgian athlete was similar to the first incident at the Winter Olympics, which occurred in 1964 in Innsbruck (Austria). Ross Milne, an Australian alpine skier, also flew off the piste on the eve of the opening ceremony and high speed crashed into a tree. Then reporters dubbed this descent the “death route,” and the organizers rushed to take increased precautions by installing straw cushions and nets in dangerous places. At the same Olympics, another athlete, the English luger Kazimir Kay Skrzypetsky, died, and several other accidents occurred. In those days, there was a lot of criticism in the press of the track designers and the level of preparedness of the athletes themselves.
If we continue the chain of tragic incidents at the Winter Olympics, we should remember the death of Nicolas Bochate from Switzerland, who ran into a snow compactor while preparing for a demonstration downhill skiing (at that time this discipline was not yet in Olympic program). An accident also occurred at the games in Calgary (Canada) in 1988, where Jörg Oberhammer, the Austrian team doctor, was hit by a snow compactor.
Tragic incidents also occurred at the Summer Olympics. The first incident occurred back in 1912. Runner on marathon distance Portuguese Francisco Lazaro suffered sunstroke during the race and later died. In 1960, Danish cyclist Knut Jensen Enemark died due to drug use. But the world shook with horror when, on September 5, 1972, at the Munich Olympics, five athletes (David Berger, Yosef Romano, Zeev Friedman, Mark Slavin and Eliezer Halfin), four coaches and two judges of the Israeli team were brutally killed at the hands of Palestinian terrorists.
Having looked through the tragic history of the Olympics, I still want to believe that in future sport competitions of this level, including the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, will not be overshadowed by such events, but will give the world new unforgettable records and victories. Let's remember the Olympic slogans: Higher, further, stronger! Oh sport - you are the world!
"SE" presents a selection terrible injuries that happened during training. Attention! Not recommended for viewing by sensitive people.
Russian Anastasia Belyakova completed the semi-final of the Olympic tournament in women's boxing with a Frenchwoman ahead of schedule Estelle Mossely due to painful damage. The athlete suffered an injury to her elbow joint and was taken away from the audience in a wheelchair to the applause of the audience.
OTHER TERRIBLE INJURIES IN RIO
Armenian weightlifter Andranik Karapetyan turned it out elbow joint in the opposite direction, unsuccessfully lowering the barbell.
Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten fell during a group race, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damaging her spine.
Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali During a group race, he suffered a double fracture of the collarbone as a result of a fall.
Colombian Sergio Henao suffered a severe pelvic fracture due to an accident during a group race.
French gymnast Samir Ait Said landed unsuccessfully while performing a vault, earning a double leg fracture.
British gymnast Ellie Downey After another somersault in floor exercises, I landed on my head and injured my neck. True, after Ellie was brought to her senses, she managed to complete her exercise.
Brazilian gymnast Jade Barbosa twisted her ankle in the floor exercise and left the gym in a wheelchair.
The Rio Olympics started very poorly for a number of athletes. Two cases of severe injuries are already known. First, the French gymnast Samir Ait Said was seriously injured, who suffered a double leg fracture while landing after performing a vault.
The second incident happened to Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten. At one of the turns, the athlete lost control and fell onto the curb. Sources say she has a traumatic brain injury and a triple fracture of the spine.
These two incidents make us shudder and remember the most terrible injuries that were received during the Olympic Games. Total for summer and Winter Olympics more than 60 athletes received serious injuries. More than 10 people remained disabled.
In the history of the Olympics, 11 athletes have died
The tragedy was first recorded in 1912 at the Olympic Games in Sweden: during the running marathon there was extreme heat, and the Portuguese Francisco Lazaro became ill. Doctors diagnosed him with sunstroke, the athlete was removed from the race, but they could not save the runner. Severe dehydration was later listed as the cause of his death. It turned out that most of Lazaro's body was covered with wax, with which he hoped to save himself from sunburn. But as a result, the sealed layer of wax severely limited natural sweating, creating an imbalance of fluid in the body, which led to death.
During the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Romanian featherweight boxer (up to 57.2 kg) Nicolae Berecet died. His death, which occurred on August 14, three days after losing the 1/16 finals to Evald Seeper from Estonia, is still shrouded in mystery. The official version is blood poisoning, which began due to a carbuncle.
Next serious injury was recorded in 1960 at the Olympics in Rome. During the 100-kilometer race, the Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen fell from his bicycle in an unconscious state, as a result of which he suffered a skull fracture and died on the same day.
The remaining deaths involving athletes occurred on Winter Games. Thus, the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics ended with two deaths. A few weeks before the start of the Games, British luger Kazimierc Kai-Skrzypeski died in training. His sled flew out of the chute. And a few days earlier, Australian skier Ross Milne fatally crashed into a tree while downhill.
In 2010, at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the performance of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili ended in tragedy. Coming out of the final corner at a speed of about 140 km/h, he flew off the sled beyond the chute and fatally hit an iron pole.
Five more Israeli athletes are considered dead at the Olympics. But their death is not connected with sports competitions. Weightlifters Yosef Romano, David Berger and Ze'ev Friedman, along with wrestlers Eliezer Halfin and Mark Slavin, died along with four coaches and two judges on September 5, 1972 at the Munich Olympics as a result of a Palestinian terrorist attack.
"Reedus" brought together all the cases of serious sports injuries at the Olympic Games. Carefully. This video is not recommended for the faint of heart and minors.
Efimova, Velikaya and gymnasts - in silver! Yegoryan is in gold!!!
Russian saber fencer Yana Yegoryan defeated her teammate Sofia Velikaya in the final. The men's gymnastics team took silver!
Skull fracture
In 1960, at the Olympics in Rome, a tragedy occurred with a Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen. During the 100-kilometer team time trial, he fell off his bike in an unconscious state, as a result of which he suffered a skull fracture and died on the same day. The official verdict was injuries incompatible with life. The cause of loss of consciousness was sunstroke. According to the unofficial version, during the autopsy, traces of amphetamines and drugs to lower blood pressure were found in Jensen’s body. The death of the cyclist changed the sport forever, as the IOC formed a medical commission and coined the term “list of prohibited substances.”
Spinal fracture
During a group cycling race at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a Dutch woman suffered a triple fracture of the spine and a severe concussion. Annemiek van Vleuten. The athlete was confidently in the lead 12 km before the finish, but during one of the turns she crashed into a curb, flew over the steering wheel and hit her head on a concrete fence. The athlete was taken to the hospital in stable condition and even wrote a message to her fans via social media. But so far there are no comments about when she will recover.
Broken arm
In 2008, during the competition weightlifting V weight category up to 77 kg, the audience heard a terrible crash and a loud scream. The Hungarian, trying to make a successful jerk, slightly pulled his right hand back, and it could not withstand the weight of 148 kg. Baranyai fell onto the platform with a broken arm and the bar fell onto his back. Doctors initially stated that the Hungarian weightlifter was unlikely to return to the sport, but he managed to recover.
Dislocated arm and brain
A similar incident occurred in 2012 with Olympic champion Beijing in the weight category up to 77 kg by a South Korean. His right hand broke with a crunch while attempting to snatch a barbell weighing 162 kg. This injury had a profound impact on the athlete. In December 2015, Hyuk had an argument with national team partner Hwang Woo Man and severely beat him in a bar in Chucheon. The champion was disqualified for ten years, and the victim spent more than a month recovering from the beating.
Ankle fracture
In 2012, during the mountain biking competition at the Games in London, one of the race favorites, a Briton Liam Killey I couldn't complete it. While passing a rocky section on the second lap, Killy fell and suffered a compound fracture of his left ankle. Medical assistance arrived to the athlete quite quickly and immediately evacuated him to the hospital, where the racer underwent surgery. But I had to give up the dream of gold at the home Games.
Patella fracture
In 1976, during the Montreal Olympics, a Japanese gymnast Shun Fujimoto suffered a fracture while performing floor exercises in the team all-around kneecap. The diagnosis was made by doctors instantly, but Fujimoto refused to withdraw from the competition. He performed on pommel horse and rings and helped his team win gold medals.
Fracture of the tibia and fibula
During the qualifying competition, a French gymnast was seriously injured. He fell on the landing from the vault and received an open fracture of his left leg. Later, doctors clarified the diagnosis - a fracture of the tibia and fibula. The Frenchman has already undergone surgery and expects to take part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Ironically, Said missed the 2012 Games in London due to a similar injury, but on his right leg.
