Torrential conditions wreaked havoc at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday evening, with Australian discus king Matt Denny slipping as he attempted to complete a throw.
The 29-year-old, who clinched bronze in Paris at last year’s Olympics, was lucky to avoid a sprained ankle in the process, as he slipped over on a soaked discus circle.
Thankfully, the Queenslander, who won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, appeared unharmed by the fall.
But he cut a frustrated figure as he rose back to his feet.
‘He is p***ed off,’ Olympic champion Nina Kennedy told Channel Nine, reacting to his slip. ‘This isn’t what elite sport is about.’
Denny then proceeded to launch the discus downfield in a fit of rage.
Wet conditions caused havoc during the men’s discus World Athletics Champinoships finals on Sunday
Matt Denny appeared to fall over as he slipped on the discus circle, almost spraining his ankle
The throw was initially deemed a foul by officials, however, given the conditions, it was later adjudged that the final should be postponed due to the inclement conditions.
The Aussie is currently ranked third in the world and had spoken of his optimism coming into the final.
‘I feel like I’m in great shape and I’ve fixed some things that probably weren’t working in the last two comps,’ Denny said on Saturday.
‘It felt easy and I didn’t want to over-extend for the final tomorrow.
‘Just put ourselves in a good place to be rested and recovered and have the best version of ourselves tomorrow.’
Denny would go on to throw a 65.57m, meaning that he would narrowly slip out of the podium spots, while Alex Rose of Samoa, would go on to leapfrog the Australian to take third place with a throw of. 66.96m.
Meanwhile, another Aussie, Nicola Olyslagers, has come full circle and been rewarded with a richly deserved high jump gold medal at the world championships, one that was chronicled in a soggy notebook.
Even more importantly for the committed Christian, the world title doesn’t change the really important stuff.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist fumed and appeared to chuck his discuss away in disgust after slipping over
Thankfully, the Queenslander, who won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, appeared unharmed by the fall
Olyslagers produced a near-flawless performance in the rain to win Australia’s only gold medal in Tokyo on Sunday’s final day, eight years after she failed to clear a single bar on her world championships debut in London.
‘I’ve seen year-by-year a gradual performance up,’ said Olyslagers, who won gold on countback from Poland’s Maria Zodzik.
‘But when I came last, I remember standing out there and I had so much peace because I knew that my performance didn’t determine my identity and value.
‘So then coming in as world No.1, the pressure was off because I knew that if you can’t lose anything when you come last, you can’t gain anything when you come first.
‘So let’s go out there and do it.’
