Sports

Japanese pole vaulter's Olympic dreams dashed by his own private part

August 17, 2016

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When it comes down to determining success and failure in top-level sport, sometimes it can boil down to mere inches.

That’s exactly what a world-class athlete learned the hard way at the Olympics on Saturday (Aug 13).

Japan’s Hiroki Ogita agonisingly missed out on a place in the pole vault final, when his genitals grazed against the bar and caused it to fall during the qualifying rounds.

In the attempt, the 28-year-old had cleared the bar, set at 5.3 metres, when his shin and thigh grazed against it. The bar wobbled slightly, but still looked like it would stay in place.

But just when it looked like he had succeeded, his manhood got in the way, hitting the bar and knocking it down to the ground.

Pain was written all over his face as he fell to the mat below, though it was uncertain whether it was merely from the heartbreak of his near-miss or of a more physical variety.

Japanese pole vaulter’s Olympic dreams dashed by his own private part

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source:

AFP, YouTube screengrabs

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A video of Ogita’s jump, which shows the exact tragic moment in which his package cost him the chance to compete for the gold medal, was posted online, and has quickly gone viral.

Ogita got over the embarassing “equipment malfunction” to clear the bar in his second attempt. But he only managed 5.45m in his last jump and was placed 21st overall, the Daily Mail reported.

The 2016 Rio Olympics has seen no shortage of viral moments. Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui catapulted to worldwide internet fame with her dramatic facial expressions, while Michael Phelps’ death glare and Usain Bolt’s grin have also spawned memes aplenty.