11 of the most painful mistakes and embarrassing blunders in Olympic history
British runner Derek Redmond pulled his hamstring and collapsed mid-sprint in Barcelona's 1992 Olympics. It was one of the most heartbreaking moments in Olympic history but his Olympian grit carried him through while his father ran onto the track to see his son over the finish line.
She may have been the 2008 Olympic individual all-around champion in Beijing, but American-Russian Nastia Liukin met the mat face-first, crushing her hopes of making it to London on a second Olympic? team.
French gymnast Samir Ait Said suffered the most horrific of injuries during the opening weekend of the Rio 2016 Olympics?. The 26-year-old landed badly after his vault, snapping his leg and leaving it dangling below the knee.
In the opening ceremony of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, hundreds of doves were released as a symbol of peace. Unfortunately, the doves decided to perch upon the Olympic cauldron which was then ignited, along with the birds. Doves have not been used in the ceremonies since.
Angel Valodia Matos of Cuba kicked Swedish referee Chakir Chelbat in the face during his taekwondo bout against Arman Chilmanov of Kazakhstan at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Matos was subsequently banned for life from taekwondo while his coach was also banned for behaviour that the official said was in "strong violation of the spirit of taekwondo and the Olympic Games."
Germany's Stephan Feck found out the hard way what it's like to be internet famous. After this disastrous dive in London, he finished 29th — or last place.
Cuban pole vaulter Lazaro Borges' pole snapped in half during his ascent at the London 2012 Olympics. Borges had previously won a silver medal at the world championships, but this incident seemed to set the tone for the rest of his time in London as he missed out on a place in the finals.
Hungarian weightlifter Janos Baranyai dislocated his right elbow while attempting to lift 148 kilograms at the Beijing Olympics — and the footage is not for the squirmish. Baranyai collapsed to the floor screaming in pain before being carried off by medics.
American diver Greg Louganis suffered a pretty gruesome head injury at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Louganis hit his head on the diving board on his way down to the water and needed stitches afterwards. But he still went on to win gold.
Hungarian gymnast Adrienne Nyeste suffered a nasty fall off the bars at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Nyeste lay motionless on the floor for the 30 seconds following, raising concerns that she may be unconscious?. She finally got back up uninjured.
Remember when the South Korean flag was displayed next to North Korean players at the London 2012 Olympics? The North Korean football team walked off the field in protest for more than an hour.
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