Viral Olympics 2024 pole vaulter whose bulge KO’d medal dreams breaks silence as he reveals what really held him back
ANTHONY AMMIRATI has admitted that he is “gutted” after his manhood cost him a place in the men’s pole vault final.
The Frenchman, 21, cleared two heights before attempting a third vault of 5.70 metres.
Ammirati had looked destined to clear it, before his private parts appeared to get in the way.
He subsequently finished 12th in his group – failing to progress to the final for a chance at a medal.
The moment immediately went viral on social media.
Speaking out for the first time since his disappointment, Ammirati revealed that he had been carrying an injury in the build-up.
He said: “It’s a big disappointment. I’m a bit gutted, because I didn’t miss anything on the third attempt at 5.70 m.
“What I did miss was a bit of jumping in training to fine-tune the settings. Just a technical session.
“I had to give up the last two, because after a small grade one in the adductor, I prioritised the race. I was 100 per cent physically, but I was missing a bit…
“The conditions were good. It’s the first time I’ve started a competition without any stress.
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“As I was a total outsider, I only had one goal: to play with the public. I was almost there.”
Ammirati hails from the picturesque town of Grasse in the French Riviera.
While he failed to achieve his objectives at Paris 2024, he has gained plenty of fans in the process.
In the last 24 alone, he has gathered more than 50,000 new Instagram followers.
His ever-rising tally now stands at 77k.
