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Two Olympic Athletes Forced To Leave In Wheelchairs After Horror Injuries

Two Olympic Athletes Forced To Leave In Wheelchairs After Horror Injuries

Australian athlete Genevieve Gregson was heartbroken after rupturing her Achilles tendon.

Anonymous

Anonymous

By Stewart Perrie

Two Olympic athletes have been forced to leave the Tokyo 2020 Games in wheelchairs after horror crashes in their respective events.

Australia's Genevieve Gregson was reeling in pain at the athletics stadium in the final kilometre of the 3,000m Steeplechase.

She ruptured her Achilles tendon and collapsed onto the ground.

PA

The Steeplechase is a gruelling event at the Olympic Games that sees athletes run through a bunch of obstacles. In total, they have to manoeuvre through 28 barriers and seven water jumps.

But it was on the last kilometre that saw Gregson fall to the floor in what she initially thought was just really bad cramping.

However, the pain didn't go away and it was later confirmed the injury was a snapped Achilles tendon.

She had to be taken off the track in a wheelchair as sports doctors worked to fix her pain and diagnose her injury.

Not only is it crushing to happen at the Olympics, but it was also coincidentally the athlete's 32nd birthday.

She took to Instagram, saying: "I'm heartbroken & don't have the words right now to respond to you all but in short - ruptured Achilles on the last water jump. Happy Birthday me!

"Thank you for all the support & lovely messages. I'll try to respond in time. For now I need to mend my heart, soul & Achilles."

But that wasn't the only horror injury that happened on Day 12 of the 2020 Games.

Belgian athlete Thomas van der Plaetsen was also left in serious pain after his long jump run-up in the men's decathlon event.

The decathlon is a similarly savage event at the Olympics and consists of ten track and field events. You really have to be a jack of all trades to compete in this.

Athletes race in a 100m event, followed by long jump, shot put, high jump, a 400m run, the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and a 1,500m run. This is spread across several days to ensure athletes can compete at their best.

According to the Mirror, Plaetsen felt his hamstring go after failing his first attempt in the long jump.

During his second jump, his leg gave way and the Belgian collapsed into the sand. You could tell the injury was serious as he laid motionless in the sand for a lengthy time.

He was taken away in a wheelchair as doctor's suspected he suffered a brutal blow to his right knee.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: olympics, Tokyo Olympics, Injury news, injury, Australia, olympics, Tokyo Olympics, Injury news, injury, Australia