Weightlifter breaks both knees in horrifying 400kg mishap
WARNING: The following article contains graphic images that some readers may find disturbing.
A Russian powerlifter has fractured both his knees after an attempt to squat 400kg went horribly wrong.
Alexander Sedykh suffered the sickening injury at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) European Championships recently, where he was the defending champion.
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Attempting to squat lift the enormous 400kg weight, Sedykh’s knees buckled horribly as he cried out in anguish.
Officials and medics rushed to Sedykh’s aid and he was immediately transferred to hospital for surgery.
He suffered fractures to both knees and required his quadriceps muscles to be reattached.
The Russian says he will now need to learn to walk again.
“The main thing is that I must lie motionless in bed for two months,” he said.
“Then I'll be taught how to walk again.
“It’ll take time to recuperate.
“I’ve had my quadriceps re-sewn and my knees put back together.”
Sedykh’s surgery reportedly took over six hours.
He has not revealed whether or not he will continue his weightlifting career.
Latest horror injury to hit weightlifting world
Unfortunately it’s not the first gruesome injury we’ve seen in the world of weightlifting.
At the 2019 European Championships, France’s Gaelle Nayo-Ketchanke broke her arm when an attempt at the clean and jerk went horribly wrong.
Nayo-Ketchanke managed to get the bar above her head but as she strained to keep it in the air her left forearm buckled underneath the immense weight.
Ketchanke was taken off on a stretcher after breaking her left arm in two places, as well as dislocating her elbow.
In 2018 at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard suffered a similarly sickening fate.
Hubbard was in obvious distress when her left elbow gave way attempting to snatch a Games-record 132kg, when she was already leading the competition with 120kg.
Born Gavin Hubbard, she represented New Zealand in male weightlifting events before transitioning to female in her 30s, and won two silver medals in the women's +90kg category at last year's world championships.
with AFP
