Olympics weightlifter makes heroic return after injury forces TV channel to cut away

French weightlifting star Romain Imadouchene appeared to have been seriously injured during the Olympic event when his leg buckled and a privacy screen was placed around him.

However, the 28-year-old somehow returned and succeeded the lift on his second attempt. Imadouchene was competing in the men’s 86kg final when during his first attempt to lift 195kg above his shoulders, he lost his balance and his knees appeared to buckle, leaving him in evident pain.

Coverage of channels including the BBC were immediately switched away from the Olympian to the crowd as a sheet was raised in front of the Frenchman. Following some time of Imadouchene receiving treatment, a replay of the incident was shown in slow motion, with the pain etched all over Imadouchene’s face.

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Despite appearing to be in extreme discomfort, he was able to return to his feet and limp away from the scene to his concerned team by the side of the stage. However, he made a miraculous return to the stage for a second attempt as the home crowd burst into cheers and applause.

Imadouchene stepped back up to the bar and pumped himself up by slapping himself in the face and yelling before taking a deep breath while chalking his hands. Incredibly, he attempted to lift 196kg – more than his failed attempt was, but this time he was successful.

He left the crowd ecstatic at his comeback, roared on by the home support, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a medal. The Dunkirk-born weightlifter had previously won bronze at the 2022 European Championships; however, an Olympic podium still eludes him. He finished the event in ninth place out of the 12-man field.

The Frenchman’s injury appeared to hinder his performance, as he reached 155kg in the snatch and 196 kilos in the clean and jerk, as the results were not heavy enough to rank him in medal contention.

"There is disappointment in terms of the result but I think I went all the way," Imadouchene said to France TV, via Sport365 . “Thanks to the public, I was not eliminated from this competition. I felt this energy and despite the pain, I pushed through. I've been bothered by my knee for 15 days after training, I have a lesion that crushes two nerves and it hurts terribly. I didn't get the medal I was hoping for but I got the heart medal thanks to the public. I wanted to be ranked, I succeeded."

The gold medal was won by Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar as he set a new world record of 404kg in the process. Colombian Yeison Lopez won silver, with Antonino Pizzolato claiming bronze for Italy. Nasar’s victory won his country just their second gold of the Games after Semen Novikov triumphed over Iranian Alrieza Mohmadi in the men’s Greco-Roman 87kg wrestling final on Thursday.