It was a surreal moment when French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati’s dream for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was broken by an event concerning his own heavy penis.
The 21-year-old was competing before his home crowd and had all chances of maintaining the upward curve by clearing 5.70 meters, which for sure would land him well inside the qualifying slots.
However, disaster struck only as he was poised to make his jump, with his penis chaffing against the bar before it dropped, ending his slim hopes of a medal effectively.
A height had been previously cleared by Ammirati, without incident, in addition to another.
But in launching himself upwards, he instead plummeted downwards, knocking the pole off in the process.
It was a miss for Ammirati, an incident that quickly reached everyone in the stadium and, later, those reading about it across the internet.
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Speaking after the competition, Ammirati revealed his disappointment: “It’s a big disappointment,” and reflected on how unfortunate he felt as the competition came to an end for him very early.
He finished the event in 12th place, at 5.60 meters, not enough to get into the final round.
The incident went viral on social media, spreading videos where users were sharing the clips with a bunch of made-up puns and memes that capture how the event came out of left field.
One such comment read, “When you’re about to win an Olympic medal but your massive d**k gets in the way while the whole world watches in slow motion.”
In the wake of the incident, Ammirati’s poor performance was superseded by the far-reaching impact of the miscue.
It was even reported that an adult film company offered him $250,000 to ‘expose’ his anatomy in a movie, which typified how bizarrely the incident resonated with people.
In either case, though, Ammirati’s experience puts a reminder on the table most pointedly: how unpredictable sports are; the myriad of factors combining in various ways to help shape the course of performances on the field.
This setback saw him in his Olympic career, but it undeniably has made him one of the most unforgettable figures ongoing in the 2024 Games.
He looks back at this extraordinary chapter in his time as an athlete and is looking forward to future competitions while bouncing back from the unexpected turn of events.
K Fosu The Informant is a lifestyle blogger with 6 years' experience in content and web development. He is a Google keyword planner, SEO analyst, an influencer and entrepreneur who holds BA Degree from Ghana's Premier University.
