Spanish athlete Maria Vicente broke down into tears after suffering a horrendous injury during the high jump discipline of the pentathlon.
Vicente was seen by many as the favourite for the pentathlon and got off to a strong start to the event as she finished with the fastest time in the 60m hurdles.
That put her top of the leaderboard, which also featured Great Britain’s Abigail Pawlett in third.
After a short break, the athletes were back out for the second discipline of high jump and Vicente comfortably cleared heights of 1.67m and 1.70m.
Maria Vicente immediately pulled up during her run up on the high jump
BBC
But disaster struck at the next height of 1.73m as she pulled up and clutched at her left ankle in agony during her run-up.
Vicente immediately knew something was wrong as she took in some deep breathes before bursting into tears while sat on the landing mat.
She was distraught while the medic teated her ankle with Vicente needing to be helped off the track.
The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the event and she later revealed it was a ‘complete rupture of the Achilles tendon’.
Vicente will now require surgery and that rules her out of competing at this summer’s Olympics in Paris.
A visibly tearful Vicente was in a wheelchair as she gave an update to the Spanish press.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to say this quickly and be understood well.
“From what has been seen in the medical services, it is a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon.
“When we talk to Dr. Jordi Puigdellivol, who is the one who operated on my quadriceps rectus femoris and I have had a very good recovery and I trust him 100 per cent, they will take me to Barcelona to have surgery and start rehabilitation.
Maria Vicente clutched at her left ankle
BBC
“I know it will be harder than the last time and I can only face it with energy and as much positivity as possible.
“Rest assured that I will return. I hope stronger, because I am already stronger than ever.”
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Maria Vicente was left in tears on the mat
BBC
Spain’s team doctor, Christophe Ramirez, explained Vicente will likely be out of action for the entirety of 2024 with a return expected for next year.
“Much better for it to be a complete tear,” he said.
“This way the operation will go better. Elongation, suturing and like new.
“The only doubt is whether it will return to the same wonderful ankle it had until now. If she were a soccer player, it wouldn’t be a problem, and for hurdles or speed it won’t affect her either, but for jumps… Will she go back to dribbling like before?”
