The Olympic Games are full of highs and lows, and with thousands of athletes descending on Paris, it’s unsurprising that some have taken a tumble.
Many athletes at the games have had to put up with dreary weather conditions – particularly affecting the cycling races, leading some bikers to even end up in surgery.
Those on the diving board have suffered some nasty slips as they launch from great height, with some slapping down on their back.
In more humourous mishaps, athletes have suffered from cringe-worthy wardrobe malfunctions including a surfer competing in French Polynesia for the Games ended up flashing his bottom live on camera.
From diving disasters to cycling smashes MailOnline looks at some of the biggest accidents and near misses of the games so far.
Australian diver Anabelle Smith ‘screamed underwater’ after she slipped on a diving board causing her to miss out on a bronze medal
USA star gymnast Bradley Malone fell on pommel horse and the high bar, missing the mark for Wednesday’s final
Australian diver Anabelle Smith ‘screamed underwater’ after she slipped on a diving board causing her to miss out on a bronze medal with her synchronised diving partner Maddi Keeney.
Australia was battling against the United States, with the yellow and greens set to win bronze. Yet the slip on the board – and consequently out of sync routine – saw them drop to fifth place.
‘I screamed underwater – I was hoping the under-water cam wasn’t on. It’s just disappointing, very disappointing,’ Smith said afterwards.
‘Yeah, pretty brutal. I can’t change it now, so no point dwelling on it,’ the Melburnian added, after the tears subsided.
‘Really, that stuff happens. It happens to the best of the best, and unfortunately it was my day today. So got to not let that define me, though. We’ve done some pretty amazing things across our 10 years.’
Meanwhile a flurry of cyclists have fell off their bikes on the first morning of the Paris Olympics with participants struggling to cope with miserable rainy conditions.
US athlete Taylor Knibb was left red-faced when she skidded off four times during the women’s road cycling time trials.
Team US Taylor Knibb lost control going round a bend, falling to the floor and skidding for several moments before getting back up on her bike
She was soon followed by her mechanic who also slipped over onto the road as he rushed to give the rider a new bike
Later on in the race her mechanic also fell, flying onto the road as he rushed to give the rider a new bike.
But Knibb wasn’t the only one to take a tumble. Chloe Dygert slipped and fell on the race.
Early on, Denmark’s Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig slipped on her left side before gingerly getting back on her bike.
Other cyclists injuries were not so easily brushed aside, however. French cyclist Loana Lecomte suffered an awful crash during the women’s cross-country mountain bike race on Sunday.
The 24-year-old flew over her handlebars while descending through a technical and rocky section of the course at Elancourt Hill.
The athlete appeared to momentarily lose consciousness after hitting her head on a rock and having her bike slam into her.
Stewards and medics rushed to help her as TV cameras cut away from the horror crash. No replays of the incident were shown given the concern for Lecomte’s wellbeing.
Loana Lecomte crashed heavily and appeared to hit her head in a rock garden while in the second group on the course chasing down compatriot and eventual winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot
Lecomte was visibly shaken and appeared to fall briefly unconscious before being stretchered
Lecomte’s coach told French TV that she had ‘facial trauma’ but that in the end her condition would ‘not be serious’ before defiantly declaring that ‘she will recover and come back stronger’
Fortunately her injuries were not as serious as expected and she was later pictured with bandages on her arm and face smiling next to her coach.
Australian cyclist Luke Plapp, 23, from Victoria, however, had to be rushed to hospital after he crashed during the trials in Paris on Sunday.
As he met the 13.1km checkpoint he came off his bike during the rainy conditions in Paris, whacking his head on the ground.
He was rushed to hospital for abdominal surgery but has since posted a picture smiling in his hospital gown.
Meanwhile on the gymnastic arena, USA star Brody Malone, 24, fell on a pommel horse before suffering a mishap on the high bar.
German Tim Elter had a wardrobe malfunction while taking part in a surfing event in French Polynesia
As he went to swim underneath an incoming wave he ended up barring his bottom for all to ssee
As he jumped out as part of his routine, he failed to grab onto the bar and instead tumbled to the floor, putting a nail in the coffin of his dream for this year’s Olympics.
In a more humorous mishaps, German Tim Elter had a wardrobe malfunction while taking part in a surfing event in French Polynesia.
When the 20-year-old went to dive underneath an incoming wave, his ended up baring his bottom for all to seen.
‘Let’s just say there was a full moon during this Olympic surfing competition,’ one joked.
‘I didn’t know mooning was a sport’, another added, while a third said: ‘Here’s a live look-in on Tim Elter’s best move so far – moon diving.’
But it was not enough to put Elter off his game, as he took part in the first heat at Teahupo’o, Tahiti more than 10,000 miles away from Paris.
Some athletes have really had to dig deep to get over the line when catastrophe struck during their events.
In the mountain biking event yesterday, Candice Lille’s rear wheel exploded on the course and trailed behind her bike like a burst balloon.
In the mountain biking event yesterday, Candice Lille’s rear wheel exploded on the course
In tragic scenes, the cyclist was seen wheeling the broken machine off the course
In another event, whilst a rider was slowing down to change due a new bike due to an issue, a male support runner was seen charging into shot and falling onto the ground
In tragic scenes, the cyclist was seen wheeling the broken machine off the course.
In another cycling event there were calamitous scenes as a member of Team USA’s support team made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Whilst a rider was slowing down to change due a new bike due to an issue, a male support runner was seen charging into shot and falling onto the ground smashing up the new bike in the process.
Thankfully the man later got up apparently unharmed.
