Horror at Beijing

Hungarian weightlifter Janos Baranyai ended his Olympic run when he dislocated his right elbow during the 148kg weight lifting event. His agonizing tragedy is the ugliest scene in the Beijing Olympics so far.

He was already in his third attempt in the 77kg division when his elbow popped out from its socket and his right arm bended backwards. The 24-year old Olympian crashed into the floor in an image of pure agony. He was immediately taken to the hospital for standard evaluation and treatment.

Good thing for Baranyai, though, is that no bones were broken during the mishap. But he is definitely out for the rest of the year, according to Tamas Feher, president of the Hungarian weightlifting federation. Benny Johansson, a technical controller present during the event, commented that healing will take some time if the ligaments were damaged.

South Korean weightlifter Sa Jaeh-Youk went on to capture the gold in the 77kg division while Liu Chunhong of China emerged victorious in the women’s 69kg division.