Horror accident sends veteran decathlete crashing out

A freak wounded has knocked Belgian seasoned Thomas van der Plaetsen retired of the men's decathlon connected the opening time of the lawsuit astatine the Tokyo Games.

Van der Plaetsen appeared to gaffe connected his archetypal effort during the agelong leap information of the lawsuit arsenic helium took disconnected from the board.

The 30-year-old was past flung 5 metres done the aerial earlier face-planting successful the sand, lying motionless for immoderate time.

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Thomas Van der Plaetsen lies successful the sand. (Getty)

Thomas van der Plaetsen successful agony arsenic helium lays successful the ungraded successful the Men's Decathlon Long Jump connected time 12 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Getty)

The Belgian managed to propulsion himself from the sand, arsenic helium was tended to by medics and yet helped into a wheelchair.

Van der Plaetsen sat 17th aft the archetypal limb of the event, having finished the 100m heats successful a clip of 11.05 seconds.

Van Der Plaetsen has had an absorbing career, including an incidental successful 2014 wherever helium initially failed a cause trial for heightened HCG levels earlier it was revealed that had been caused by up to past undiagnosed testicular crab - helium was past treated and made a afloat recovery.

Thomas van der Plaetsen of Team Belgium reacts aft getting wounded portion competing successful the Men's Decathlon Long Jump. (Getty)

On the aforesaid time of competition, the satellite champions of the decathlon and heptathlon besides crashed retired of Olympic medal contention aft breaking down during their past races of the day.

Heptathlon satellite champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain injured her close calf musculus arsenic she rounded the crook successful the 200m, the 4th lawsuit of the competition.

About an hr later, decathlon satellite champion Niklas Kaul of Germany appeared to injure an ankle during the 400m race, the 5th of 10 disciplines, and did not finish.

Thomas van der Plaetsen intelligibly successful symptom adjacent aft leaving the dirt. (Getty)

Thomas van der Plaetsen grimaces arsenic he's tended to by aesculapian unit astatine the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Getty)

Damian Warner of Canada leads astatine the halfway constituent of the decathlon with 4722 points, 81 up of Australia's Ash Moloney.

Johnson-Thompson slowed to a halt astatine the apical of the consecutive and sat connected the way earlier waving distant aesculapian attendants who went to her assistance — including 1 pushing a wheelchair.

She got up and limped crossed the decorativeness enactment but was disqualified for stepping retired of her lane.

Her mentation was hampered by a bid of injuries, including her near Achilles tendon.

Medical unit be to Thomas van der Plaetsen of Team Belgium aft helium was wounded portion competing successful the Men's Decathlon Long Jump. (Getty)

Johnson-Thompson had been successful 5th spot aft the 100m hurdles, precocious leap and agelong jump.

With 3 events to go, 2017 satellite title bronze medalist Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands leads with 3968 points.

She is 27 points wide of Noor Vidts of Belgium and 47 up of defending Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam.

— Additional reporting by the Associated Press

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