‘Nice trip’: Cheeky dig at Olympic hurdler

blake antrobus

Tue, 13 Aug 2024, 11:35 pm·2-min read

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 13 — Friends of Michelle Jenneke have taken a cheeky dig at the athlete following her tumble at the Paris Olympics.

Michelle Jenneke’s friends have taken a cheeky dig at the Olympic athlete’s tumble during the 100m hurdles heat as the Aussie team returned home from Paris.

Jenneke, 31, tripped and fell after her back leg caught the third hurdle, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Despite the injury, she bravely picked herself up and completed the race.

As Australia’s Olympians returned home from the Games with an astonishing 18 gold medals under their arms, Jenneke’s fellow athlete Genevieve Cowie and her husband were among the crowd waiting at Sydney airport on Tuesday.

One of their signs, which read “hope you had a nice trip”, earnt a cheeky reaction from Jenneke on social media.

Ms Jenneke’s friends unveiled their cheeky sign as the athletes touched down. Picture: Instagram — Michelle Jenneke friends unveiled their cheeky sign in reference to her fall during the opening hurdles heat. Picture: Instagram

“I have the best friends”, she posted on her Instagram story on Wednesday, accompanied by a laughing emoji.

Cowie, a fellow 400m hurdler, was also enjoying the reactions after realising she had “made it” onto Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s own Instagram story.

Jenneke’s tumble during the 100m heat shocked commentators.

She later told reporters she felt a pop when she fell and discovered she had ruptured her hamstring. She still ran in the repechage with the injury, clocking 13.86s.

But Jenneke was still in good spirits despite the setback.

“I’m all right, actually,” she said following the event.

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 12 — Jenneke took a tumble during the 100m hurdles heat at the Paris Olympics last week. Picture: Al Bello / Getty Images

“I actually feel like I’m in great shape. I got out really well.

“I’m really proud of that. And then I think it was the third hurdle, I just felt something popping in my lead leg, down towards my knee, so I just lost all power and that’s why I took a tumble.”

Competing at her second Olympics following Rio back in 2016, Jenneke didn’t want that fall to be her final memory from the Games, so she had a chat with the team doctor.

“I said to the doctor ‘can I still run (with the injury)’?” Jenneke said.

“I didn’t want my Olympic campaign to end the way it was and I really just wanted to give it my all.

“I knew that making that semi-final and running under 13 seconds missing one of your hamstrings is probably pretty impossible.”