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       #Post#: 46--------------------------------------------------
       German weightlifter drops 432 pounds onto his neck at London
       2012
   DIR By: berry
       Date: September 18, 2012, 10:56 am
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       Defending Olympic weightlifting champion Matthias Steiner had a
       lucky escape today when he dropped a 432 pound barbell onto his
       neck at the London's ExCel centre.
       Losing his balance during his second lift of the competition,
       Steiner couldn't sustain the weights above his head during the
       snatch portion on the platform at the London games.
       Falling awkwardly as the barbell fell down on top of him,
       medical personnel rushed to his aid and hastily erected a shield
       around him while he was tended to.
       The crowd waited anxiously for any sign that the 29-year-old had
       come through the dramatic accident and the German eventually
       staggered to his feet and waved to them before walking into the
       back room.
       He did not emerge for his third attempt and an announcer told
       the crowd that the 2008 Olympic champion was being taken to a
       hospital for a precautionary x-ray on his neck.
       The German could not defend his Olympic title and World Champion
       Behad Salmimi took gold while his Iranian compatriot Sajjad
       Anoushiravani grabbed the silver ahead of Russia's European
       champion Ruslan Albegov.
       It was a sad end to Steiner's attempt to win his second gold
       after capturing hearts in Beijing for competing after his wife
       died in a car crash the previous year.
       Lifting 568.9 pounds to win his gold medal four years ago,
       Steiner was voted Germany's male athlete of the year for his
       brave exploits.
       Steiner's injury caps off a trilogy of wince-inducing accidents
       during the weighlifting competition at the 2012 London Olympic
       Games.
       South Korean Olympic weightlifter Jaehyouk Sa was forced to
       abandon the competition after his elbow snapped back while he
       was attempting a 162kg lift.
       The reigning champion in the men’s 77kg category was taken to
       hospital after his second attempt at the snatch ended in
       disaster.
       The 27-year-old successfully lifted 158kg (348.33 lbs) but tried
       to push it up to 162kg (357.15 lbs) the second time round.
       Sa could be seen falling to the floor and screaming out in pain
       before officials rushed to his aid as he rolled around in agony.
       He reportedly suffered a dislocated elbow.
       And Egypt's Khalil Mahmoud Abir Abdelrahman was pinned to the
       ground as she tried to lift a whopping 151kg.
       The diminutive 5ft 3in athlete was bidding to stay in touching
       distance of the leading pack in the 75-kilogram showdown when
       she buckled under the strain of the weight, equivalent of
       332lbs.
       Medical teams came to her aid and after some time she was helped
       off the platform at the London ExCeL centre in a wheelchair.
       Source
       By JAMES NYE
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