A Russian pole
vaulter's hopes of gold were left in tatters at the World Championships in
Daegu when his pole snapped during the final.
Russia's Dmitry
Starodubtsev was going along well in the early stages of the final when his
pole snapped as he attempted 5.75m, sending him flying awkwardly into the mat.
The
accident left him clutching his hand in pain, and unable to continue in pursuit
of a medal.
Then, almost
unbelievably, the exact same thing happened to his fellow competitor Jan
Kudlicka of Czech Republic at the same height.
Poland's Pawel
Wojciechowski ended up winning the competition with a leap of 5.90m, while
Britain's Steven Lewis finished ninth.