An official at an athletics event just outside the city of Dusseldorf in Germany sadly lost his life after being speared through the throat with a javelin.
The 74-year-old man, named Dieter Strack, had gone to measure a throw but was hit by a javelin before it hit the ground.
Strack was rushed to hospital but died due to his injuries, with the competition called off shortly after the tragic incident.
The competitor in question who threw the javelin was receiving psychological counselling police spokesman Andre Hartwig said following the freak accident.
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In a statement from the Local Athletics Association, they stated that Strack was a “much-loved and experienced sports judge”.
“All of us who were there are horrified and in shock… We will always remember Dieter Strack,” the statement continued.
Javelin deaths are rare
Incidents of these sorts do occur in the world of athletics, but deaths are incredibly rare.
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Back in July 2007, French long jumper Salim Sdiri had to be rushed to hospital having been speared by a javelin during a meet in Rome.
The thrower in question, Finnish athlete Tero Pitkämäki, slipped and threw the javelin towards the area where the jumpers were warming up.
At the time, Sdiri’s injuries were initially believed not to be life-threatening, with doctors believing the javelin missed any vital organs by a matter of centimetres.
Sdiri's initial prognosis was wrong
However, Sdiri was rushed back to the ER just two days later as the initial prognosis was incorrect, after it was revealed the javelin tore a hole in his liver and punctured his right kidney slightly.
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On the incident, Sdiri said: “The javelin touched the right kidney and there is a slight tear at the top of the kidney... the liver was also touched leaving a hole in it. The javelin penetrated over ten centimetres and not four as we initially thought.”
Thankfully, Sdiri went on to make a full recovery and, having targeted the 2008 Olympics to return, was actually back in action in 2009 after a period of rehabilitation.
Earlier this year, a 13-year-old girl died after being struck in the head with a spear during an athletics training session at school.
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The incident occurred at a school in Russia, with a 17-year-old boy said to have launched a training spear while the coach was absent from the field, hitting the girl in the eye.
The unnamed schoolgirl was taken to hospital and was in intensive care for four days, but sadly lost her life as a result of her injuries.
Ben McAleer