FRENCH GYMNAST SAMIR Aït Saïd suffered an horrific leg injury in men’s qualifying at the Olympics on Saturday as German all-around champion Andreas Toba pulled out of the Games with a knee injury.
The 26-year-old Ait Said snapped the lower part of his left leg after landing badly while competing in the vault in the Rio Olympic Arena.
He fell to the mat in agony clutching the back of his knee and the lower part of his leg, which visibly flopped to one side to gasps of horror from the crowd.
Ait Said was treated by medical staff for several minutes before being stretchered off to the applause of the crowd.
Rings specialist Aït-Said was France’s leading medal hope on the rings apparatus in Rio.
(Warning: The video below contains images of a distressing nature that some viewers may find upsetting)
He had been third overall on rings with a score of 15.533 in early qualifying behind world champion Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece (15.833) and Olympic champion Arthur Zanetti of Brazil, who also scored 15.533 but had a higher execution mark than the French gymnast.
(Warning: The video below contains images of a distressing nature that some viewers may find upsetting)
Toba has been ruled out after suffering a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during his execution of the floor routine.
The 25-year-old did not finish on floor and was helped off, but continued on the pommel horse. He was later diagnosed as suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
