Athlete Hit by Javelin Angry Over Incident
[ Track and Field Sport ]
The New York Times
Posted: 2008-02-16 08:59:25
On Friday the 13th in July, Tero Pitkamaki of Finland, one of the world's best at what he does, rumbled forward and released his javelin during a Golden League meet in Rome. It sailed far off target to the left, and nearly 80 meters away it landed in the back of an unsuspecting long jumper, Salim Sdiri of France.
Sdiri shouted and twisted. He grabbed at the javelin protruding from his body, then released his grip and dropped to the ground as officials and athletes rushed to him. Pitkamaki watched from afar and cradled his head in his hands.
Seven months later, Sdiri is still coping with the freakish injury. "I won't hide that there were many times when I've had a hard time sleeping," Sdiri, 29, said in an interview with the French radio station RTL this week. "Everything runs through your head."
Danielle Desmier, his coach for the last nine years, has tried to stay patient. "You never know with this kind of accident how people will react," Desmier said in a telephone interview this week. "You had to give him the time, the time to get himself back together, the time to get back his desire to jump."
Sdiri has not jumped in competition since the accident, which left him with internal injuries to his liver and right kidney, caused him to lose 15 pounds of muscle mass and prevented him from training until December. But he says the desire is back, if not the confidence or explosive strength, and on Saturday and Sunday he plans to take part in the French indoor track and field championships in Bordeaux.
Sdiri's goal for the weekend is to get over the stage fright and to let his competitive juices flow again. His goal for the year is to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Sdiri, the father of a 2-year-old son, was good enough before his accident to finish fifth at the world championships in 2005.
Sdiri paid a price for an unusual combination of negligence, but he was also fortunate when one considers what might have happened if Pitkamaki's javelin had struck him a bit higher.
"It's very fortunate that Salim is alive," Pitkamaki said last summer. "And I should thank all the Gods for that."
Sdiri's gratitude does not extend to Pitkamaki. He resents Pitkamaki's failure to rush to his aid. He resents that, while visibly affected by the accident, Pitkamaki did not stop competing that night, throwing three more times. Pitkamaki sought out Sdiri to apologize at his hotel in Rome, but he resents that Pitkamaki has not maintained contact with him during his convalescence.
Sdiri shouted and twisted. He grabbed at the javelin protruding from his body, then released his grip and dropped to the ground as officials and athletes rushed to him. Pitkamaki watched from afar and cradled his head in his hands.
Seven months later, Sdiri is still coping with the freakish injury. "I won't hide that there were many times when I've had a hard time sleeping," Sdiri, 29, said in an interview with the French radio station RTL this week. "Everything runs through your head."
Danielle Desmier, his coach for the last nine years, has tried to stay patient. "You never know with this kind of accident how people will react," Desmier said in a telephone interview this week. "You had to give him the time, the time to get himself back together, the time to get back his desire to jump."
Sdiri has not jumped in competition since the accident, which left him with internal injuries to his liver and right kidney, caused him to lose 15 pounds of muscle mass and prevented him from training until December. But he says the desire is back, if not the confidence or explosive strength, and on Saturday and Sunday he plans to take part in the French indoor track and field championships in Bordeaux.
Sdiri's goal for the weekend is to get over the stage fright and to let his competitive juices flow again. His goal for the year is to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Sdiri, the father of a 2-year-old son, was good enough before his accident to finish fifth at the world championships in 2005.
Sdiri paid a price for an unusual combination of negligence, but he was also fortunate when one considers what might have happened if Pitkamaki's javelin had struck him a bit higher.
"It's very fortunate that Salim is alive," Pitkamaki said last summer. "And I should thank all the Gods for that."
Sdiri's gratitude does not extend to Pitkamaki. He resents Pitkamaki's failure to rush to his aid. He resents that, while visibly affected by the accident, Pitkamaki did not stop competing that night, throwing three more times. Pitkamaki sought out Sdiri to apologize at his hotel in Rome, but he resents that Pitkamaki has not maintained contact with him during his convalescence.
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