Anthony Ammirati made an unforgettable debut at the Olympics, captivating fans with an unexpected turn of events. The 21-year-old French athlete saw his hopes dashed in front of a hometown crowd on Saturday during the qualifying round of the track and field competition.
During his pole vault attempt, Ammirati sprinted down the track and vaulted into the air, but he clipped the crossbar with his crotch while aiming to clear a height of 5.70 meters. Unfortunately, his performance placed him 12th, ending his pursuit of a medal. The pole vault was Ammirati’s sole event at these Games.
Images captured by Getty show a determined Ammirati competing in the Men’s Pole Vault Qualification on day eight of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France.
Despite not being the first athlete to have such a mishap in track and field, the incident sparked significant chatter online, with many people discussing the event. Support for Ammirati surged, with tens of thousands of new followers cheering him on after the competition.
One social media user noted, “Anthony Ammirati failed the bar and the commentators are clearly having a hard time acknowledging what happened,” accompanied by a clip of the broadcast. Other users shared messages of encouragement, with one stating, “Wow, even though he lost the game, in a way, he won his life,” and another adding, “Sending love and light to this man’s DMs.”
Ammirati shared his excitement for competing at the Olympics in a social media post the day before his event, expressing pride to perform in front of a French crowd. Despite the unfortunate outcome, he has certainly gained a supportive fan base through this experience.