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Through the pain barrier: sport's weirdest injuries

Kim Clijsters may miss the French Open after picking up an injury while dancing at a wedding this weekend. She’s not the first athlete to pull a muscle while off the clock.
4.08pm, 11 Apr 2011

TENNIS ACE KIM Clijsters is a major doubt for next month’s French Open after injuring her ankle while dancing at her cousin’s wedding.

The second-best female player in the world will be out for up to a month-and-a-half. It’s unknown which song was playing at the time.

A statement on her website reads: “Kim has injured her ankle. She won’t be able to compete for four to six weeks.”

“Her participation in the French Open is no longer certain.

“At the wedding party of her cousin Tim, Kim injured her ankle severely. The consequences are rather dire. Kim’s ankle is now completely immobilised and she cannot use her foot for a few days.”

She must have some pretty sweet moves – let’s hope she recovers in time for Paris.

Clijsters, of course, is not the first athlete to pick up an injury, away from the action.

Through the pain barrier: sport's weirdest injuries
1 / 8

  • Dave Beasant

    Dave Beasant managed to rule himself out for eight weeks in 1993 when he dropped a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing the tendon in his big toe. Hang on let me think of a joke.. he must not have relished tha... no, I think I'll leave it actually.

  • Lionel Simmons

    Simmons, who played for the Sacramento Kings’ player during the 90s, suffered wrist tendonitis from playing Tetris on his GameBoy too much. He explained he was trying to break his friend's high score. He had plenty of time to do so as he sat on the sidelines for a fortnight.

  • Colin Smart

    During the post-match banquet after England‘s Five Nations victory in Paris in 1982, a drinking challenge went awry. Don't they all? England forward Maurice Colclough had earlier emptied the contents of his gift bottle of after-shave into an ice-bucket and replaced it with water. He drank it in front of team-mate Colin Smart (pictured, far left). The prop then downed a bottle of the real thing, prompting a trip to the A&E. Scrum-half Steve Smith said afterwards: "Colin was in a bad way, but his breath smelled lovely."

  • Kasey Keller

    Former US and Leicester 'keeper Kasey Keller knocked out his front teeth while pulling his golf bag from the boot of his car. Fore!

  • Glenallen Hill

    This is one of my favourites. Former baseball star Glenallen Hill suffered from arachnophobia. One night he dreamt a giant spider was chasing him, he jumped out the bed and put his foot through a glass table. He then fell down the stairs. He endured the nickname of Spiderman until he retired.

  • Chris-Hanson

    The 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars had a dressing-room ritual and mantra: “keep chopping wood”. Players swiped at a bit of timer with an axe. Inevitably, it ended badly with kicker Chris Hanson planting the blade deep in his leg. Fortunately, it wasn’t his kicking leg .

  • Liam Lawrence

    Ireland midfielder Liam Lawrence fell down the stairs and injured his ankle after tripping over his dog.

  • Kim Clijsters

    Kim Clijsters has form in this regard. The Belgian star previously missed tournament action because, like Lawrence, she tripped over her dog, Diesel. Unlike the Portsmouth winger, she was playing football at the time.
  • Dave Beasant managed to rule himself out for eight weeks in 1993 when he dropped a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing the tendon in his big toe. Hang on let me think of a joke.. he must not have relished tha... no, I think I'll leave it actually.
  • Simmons, who played for the Sacramento Kings’ player during the 90s, suffered wrist tendonitis from playing Tetris on his GameBoy too much. He explained he was trying to break his friend's high score. He had plenty of time to do so as he sat on the sidelines for a fortnight.
  • During the post-match banquet after England‘s Five Nations victory in Paris in 1982, a drinking challenge went awry. Don't they all? England forward Maurice Colclough had earlier emptied the contents of his gift bottle of after-shave into an ice-bucket and replaced it with water. He drank it in front of team-mate Colin Smart (pictured, far left). The prop then downed a bottle of the real thing, prompting a trip to the A&E. Scrum-half Steve Smith said afterwards:
  • Former US and Leicester 'keeper Kasey Keller knocked out his front teeth while pulling his golf bag from the boot of his car. Fore!
  • This is one of my favourites. Former baseball star Glenallen Hill suffered from arachnophobia. One night he dreamt a giant spider was chasing him, he jumped out the bed and put his foot through a glass table. He then fell down the stairs. He endured the nickname of Spiderman until he retired.
  • The 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars had a dressing-room ritual and mantra: “keep chopping wood”. Players swiped at a bit of timer with an axe. Inevitably, it ended badly with kicker Chris Hanson planting the blade deep in his leg. Fortunately, it wasn’t his kicking leg .
  • Ireland midfielder Liam Lawrence fell down the stairs and injured his ankle after tripping over his dog.
  • Kim Clijsters has form in this regard. The Belgian star previously missed tournament action because, like Lawrence, she tripped over her dog, Diesel. Unlike the Portsmouth winger, she was playing football at the time.

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