Anthony Ammirati, the French pole vaulter whose Olympic dreams were dashed, has spoken publicly for the first time about the incident that occurred on August 3.
If you recall that 21-year-old athlete fell short of his 5.70m target on his third attempt when his bulge interfered with the pole, causing him to miss the jump. This unexpected issue led to his downfall during the competition.
In a heartfelt statement made on August 5, just before the finals, Ammirati conveyed his deep disappointment over not securing a medal. He explained how the mishap affected his performance.
“It’s a big disappointment,” Ammirati told the French Athletics Federation. “I’m a bit gutted because I didn’t miss anything on the third attempt at 5.70m. What I did miss was a bit of jumping in training to fine-tune the settings. Just a technical session.”
Ammirati decided not to delve into the specifics of the moment that caught widespread attention on social media.
“I was 100 percent physically, but I was missing a bit of pole vault,” Ammirati said. “The conditions were good. It’s the first time I’ve started a competition without any stress. As I was a total outsider, I only had one goal: to interact with the audience. I was almost there.”
His comments reveal a mix of personal frustration and an understanding of the broader context of his performance, emphasizing his focus on engaging with the audience despite the setbacks.
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