French pole vaulter whose manhood hit bar speaks up about his failed Olympic bid

In a dramatic and widely discussed incident at the 2024 Paris Olympics, French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati’s hopes for a medal were dashed in an unexpected and awkward fashion. During his third attempt to clear the 5.70-meter mark, Ammirati’s crotch hit the bar, knocking it off and eliminating his chances of qualifying for the finals.

The 21-year-old athlete had successfully cleared 5.40 meters and 5.60 meters in his first attempts. However, the 5.70-meter hurdle proved insurmountable due to the unusual mishap during his final jump. This incident left commentators momentarily speechless, as they struggled to find the right words to describe what had happened. One commentator finally remarked that it wasn’t a lack of height but rather a bizarre collision that caused the failure. The moment quickly became a viral sensation, sparking memes and jokes across social media.

Despite the setback, Ammirati maintained a positive attitude. Speaking through the French Athletic Federation, he was quoted as saying, “I’m just glad I can make people smile and laugh. And who knows, maybe this will be the start of something amazing!”

Reflecting on his Olympic experience, Ammirati expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s a big disappointment. I’m a bit gutted because I didn’t miss anything on the third attempt at 5.70 m. What I did miss was a bit of jumping in training to fine-tune the settings. Just a technical session.” He also acknowledged that he felt physically prepared but lacked some technical precision.

Branko Miric, founder of Apex Vaulting and a pole vaulting coach, clarified that Ammirati actually hit the bar with his legs first and would have missed the attempt regardless of the more comical mishap that followed. Miric explained in an interview with TODAY.com, “He definitely hit the bar with his legs first and was going to miss that attempt anyway.”

This wasn’t Ammirati’s only attempt to qualify for the finals; pole vaulters have three attempts to clear each height. After successfully clearing 5.40 meters and 5.60 meters, he faltered at 5.70 meters. To advance to the finals, competitors needed to clear 5.80 meters.

The results of the pole vault qualifications were dominated by Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, the current world record holder, who cleared 5.75 meters on his first attempt. Norway’s Guttormsen Sondre and Greece’s Karalis Emmanouli secured the second and third spots, respectively.

Ammirati, a former U20 World Champion, remains hopeful despite his Olympic exit. The viral athlete landed on 12th place with a height of 5.60 in Group A.