While many athletes strive for perfection, no one can actually attain that goal and we all have our share of embarrassing moments. No matter how much an athlete practices, accidents are unavoidable. However, it’s far worse when they are caught on camera! Here are some of the most epic fails featuring women athletes.
Moment Of A Lifetime At The London 2012 Olympic Games
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Philip Kirchhoff/YouTube Philip Kirchhoff/YouTubeKnowing the time, work, effort, and love she put into training for something as fleeting as the 1500m, Morgan Uceny is not accepting her choices in this picture.
After she fell, she laid on the track and stayed there well until the race was over, before finally getting up and leaving without a word. Terrence Mahon, Morgan’s coach, told USA Today, “It was a tough one. Hard to handle when you do everything right and something like this happens to you.”
Tai Down
soyunalbondiga/Pinterest soyunalbondiga/PinterestEven badminton can get intense in the Olympics, which is why we see Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying flattened out like an athletic pancake here. We’re not exactly sure how a racket game can result in this type of position, but it is clear that Tai was giving it everything she had. Unfortunately, she ended up “falling” short.
In March 2017, Tai made history “by becoming the first All-England badminton champion in any discipline from Chinese Taipei,” saying, “I was very well-prepared for this match. I did a lot of work on defence. I am very happy that in this match I had a quick start, unlike my game before,” reports The Straits Times.
The Real Winners
@coherentemente/Twitter @coherentemente/TwitterAs the poster child for good sportsmanship, 5,000 meter New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin threw the race at the 2016 Olympics after accidentally being tripped by Abbey D’Agostino. Seeing that D’Agostino was down for the count, Hamblin went back and actually helped pick her up off of the track. As both runners proceeded with the race, it was obvious that D’Agostino had sustained a leg injury from the incident as she limped to the finish line.
Both runners were praised for their sportsmanship, even though Hamblin finished 16th and D’Agostino limped in at last place. When Hamblin first helped D’Agostino up after the initial incident, D’Agostino told reporters that her competitor told her, “Get up, get up, we have to finish this.”
That’s A Bruise
Donat SorokinTASS via Getty Images Donat SorokinTASS via Getty ImagesThis is Russian figure skater Maya Khromykh, and her performance didn’t get better after possibly pulling a muscle. Here she is just flat out falling after failing to land a trick. It’s safe to say she didn’t make it to the podium.
Falling that hard on ice is definitely going to leave a bruise — both on her body and with her ego. We just hope another athlete fell a little harder, just to make Maya feel a little bit better about herself.
Where Is The Ball Going To Land?
coool/Pinterest coool/PinterestA little coordination can go a long way when it comes to playing volleyball. Diving in order to save the ball from hitting the ground takes skill. It may look easy but it requires timing to the utmost extreme. Speed and the all-important hand-eye coordination comes into play, especially in the image above.
What would happen if your hand-eye coordination is off just slightly? You could not only miss the ball, but you could get hit in the face if you just happen to miss the ball with your hand. In the image above, it looks like it is going to hurt pretty badly.
Uh Oh, Miho
Cameron Spencer/Getty Images TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty ImagesProfessional speed skater Miho Takagi may seem cool and collected in this picture, but there is so much more than meets the eye. When it comes to sports, athletes’ mindsets are far from their apparel and the way it appears, especially something as quick as speed skating. But in this case, Miho should have taken a second look at her outfit that day…. can you spot why?
Hopefully, onlookers were too distracted by her impeccable performance to notice this wardrobe faux pas!
Hates To Lose
@AmericansportRU/Twitter @AmericansportRU/TwitterSerena Williams, would you like a glass of water to go along with that nasty tasting defeat? Considered to be one of the worst defeats for Serena in her entire career, Simona Halep handed Serena a plate full of humiliation and Serena definitely did not like the taste. You can tell by the look on her face!
After the match, Serena is quoted as telling the press, “I knew if I wanted to win this, I had to step it up in the third set. I knew that I could play a lot better, and I felt like I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit in the second set. Also, Simona started playing really well. She kept going for shots, and she did what she needed to do.”
Too Much Weight
@VaidehiTaman/Twitter @VaidehiTaman/Twitter20-year-old Genesis Gomez Rodriguez let the 106kg weight get the best of her after she competed and fainted with the weight above her head in the Pan Am games in Ontario, Canada. She steadily and successfully lifted the weight above her head, before dropping it behind her and falling to the mat shortly thereafter. Had the weight not fallen behind her, it could have caused a serious injury.
Thank goodness Genesis made a quick recovery, but she had the world in quite a scare with this terrifying, dramatic, and potentially fatal incident. After recovering, Genesis successfully lifted the 109kg weight and ended up winning the silver medal.
Relaying Difficulty
@USATODAY/Twitter @USATODAY/TwitterRelay like the women’s 4×100 event requires speed, yes, but they also requires accuracy for a moment as simple as the passing of the baton. Even in that brief moment, things can go awry and often do. Here we see Allyson Felix getting bumped by one of the Brazilian track runners, causing her to drop the baton and ruin the chances for her team’s success.
The look on Felix’s face says it all: disappointment, devastation, and frustration. Because of the slight collision with the Brazilian runner, Felix failed to pass the baton to her teammate English Gardner. Maybe next time!
Ladies, This is Not the Time to Play Twister
red1300/Imgur red1300/ImgurDominos are fun to stack up in a long row for the purpose of knocking them down. It is a very unique site to see a long row of about 500 dominoes all stacked up just to be knocked down. This is what is known as the domino effect. This means one thing starts a chain reaction to other things.
One unfortunate track runner just happened to be running and might have collided with another one. The other track runners just happened to experience the “domino effect” and they went tumbling down like a ton of bricks. This is quite embarrassing isn’t it?
A Falling Beauty
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWith such an elegant and beautiful outfit, and even a composed face, U.S. skater Gracie Gold did not live up to her last name at the 2014 Winter Olympics. With this epic failure of a fall, Gracie placed fourth in the competition – marking it the first time that the U.S. did not place with a medal since 1936. Tough luck Gracie, but at least you look beautiful! This goes to show that even the most practiced routines can go wrong.
Seventeen-year-old Adelina Sotnikova of Russia ended up coming out on top in that competition, much to the joy of the home crowd, since the event took place in Sochi.
The Long, Hard Road to Victory
STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP/GettyImages STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP/GettyImagesCycling is one of the most exhilarating but intense and potentially dangerous sports around and can easily result in some nasty spills along the road… spills like the one we see here. One person going down could potentially be disastrous since they could get in the way of all the bikers behind them!
In this photo, we witness the collision between professional bikers Na Ah of South Korea and Fernanda da Silva Sousa of Brazil, which also led to a domino effect of destruction for other bikers in the race. While we have seen worse cases of this scenario, any incident like this in a bike race is pretty worrisome to watch!
Woman Overboard
Andrew Davies/Pinterest Andrew Davies/PinterestWhen it comes to hurdling, there is always a possibility of tripping or stumbling over the equipment and poor Vania Stambolova knows exactly how this feels. Unfortunately, in this sport, it is practically impossible to continue competing after falling over a hurdle in such a fast-paced activity. This young Bulgarian had to admit defeat in 2012 due to this blunder, and it doesn’t help that “Stambolova” sounds like “stumble”.
What makes the incident even more embarrassing for the athlete was the fact that it was the very first hurdle! Although she got up unscathed by the mistake, it was too late to salvage her chances at placing in the competition.
Watch Out!
milizia alcolica/Pinterest milizia alcolica/PinterestSporting events are not a place to be strolling around when there are athletes competing, and this girl learned her lesson. The look on the man in the left corner’s face says it all when this female bystander ran into one of the competing athletes and ruined his chances at success.
Not only was the athlete in question probably disappointed and aggravated at the fact that he was denied a win because of this, but the woman who got in his way is also probably extremely embarrassed about the whole incident! Oops!
Again With The Hurdles
Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star via Getty Images Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesSports bring joy, shame, victory and loss… but most of all fails! Ouch… we have seen some pretty nasty spills in this article, but this has to be worst hurdling one. Maybe it’s the angle that captures the serious pain that girl is in or it’s the actual fall, but we really feel for this serious fail.
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For the sake of the runner in question, we can only hope that she recovered with grace and poise. Hopefully, she was able to finish the race and actually place, unlike the previous runner we mentioned who fell victim to those pesky hurdles.
Make It Rain
Eduardo Monteiro Lobato Cruz/Pinterest Eduardo Monteiro Lobato Cruz/PinterestAlthough field hockey is one of the lesser-known sports in the world, it really tends to stand out in the Olympics with composite sticks, intense athletes and serious blocking like you see here.
In this picture, US player Rachel Dawson went head-to-head with New Zealand’s Anita Punt at the 2012 London Olympics as Rachel slipped on the wet astroturf. But these ladies powered through it, proving that women can work through whatever challenging conditions they may face when there is gold to be won.
Crash And Burn On Ice
reddit/u/DrSuperZonic reddit/u/DrSuperZonicThis has got to be one of the worst crashes ever on ice. This seems to be a bit confusing on how someone could crash through a wall like this on ice. When one thinks of ice skating, you think of certain athletic moves and skillful maneuvers being performed on ice. When you have this type of coordination, you may be prone to a few mistakes, but nothing on a level of this caliber.
It seems like this ice skater may have somehow skated in a straight line and crashed through the wall. The worst thing about the image is that there is a spotlight pointing at the unfortunate woman.
The Comeback Kid
Galen Fott/YouTube Galen Fott/YouTubeAs one of the most famous comeback stories in the history of running, track runner Heather Dorniden took a hard fall in the 600m at the 2008 Big 10 Indoor Track Championships. Despite falling on her face in the last lap, Dorniden managed to not only catch up to her teammate and front runner, but finish first! Judging from first glance, you would not think that a fall like this could be the motivation to win, in fact, it looks like her face is being stepped on!
The fact that she got back up and ended up winning the race just proves how resilient female athletes of the world can be!
It Looks Like Someone Missed The Ball
@saltyvillage/Twitter @saltyvillage/TwitterHand-eye coordination is the key to every athletic performance. One wrong move and it could cost an athlete a score. A football player could drop a ball due to bad hand-eye coordination and let their opponent score, or someone could get popped by a foul ball in the game of baseball due to bad hand-eye coordination. In the game of basketball, one bad dribble could cost you a point.
In the game of volleyball, one wrong move and you could either fall flat on your face, or in the image above, you could possibly get hit in the face and suffer utter embarrassment.
Hmm.. What Is Wrong With This Picture?
Samuel/Pinterest Samuel/PinterestEvery swimmer has to deal with tan lines, embarrassing or not, and they generally do not pay too much attention to their “miss-tanned” appearances, but this particular picture is a little hard to ignore. With what is definitely a bikini tan line, this swimmer rocks her one-piece with confidence.
If anything, this swimmer’s tan lines only show the world that she knows how to have fun and relax in her spare time. But don’t be mistaken—when it’s game time, tan lines are the least of her concerns!
Here’s A New Dance Called the Ice Fall!
Ali S./Pinterest Ali S./PinterestIt is amazing to see someone balance themselves on one leg. It is very interesting to see someone lean back and try to balance themselves on one leg. Anais Morand has gone above and beyond athletic skill and grace as she has either created a new dance or she has mastered the art of balancing on ice.
Anais Morand was actually trying to balance herself from a fall. Her instincts kicked in and she made the whole “I’m gonna crash” face before she initially fell down. Some moments just seem funnier when they are caught at just the right moment.
AJ Lee Had Enough
WWE/YouTube WWE/YouTubeIn the WWE SmackDown of 2014, it was Eva Marie and Natalya tag teaming against AJ Lee and Tamina Snuka. When Natalya was having it out against AJ Lee, it seemed that Lee wasn’t able to handle the premeditated moves that Natalya was delivering.
For someone who enters into the profession of wrestling, you would think that they’d be able to handle some of the most uncomfortable positions, so watching Natalya twist and wrangle AJ, you’d expect her to fight back. But no, it seemed that AJ tapped out at the first chance she got. Maybe consider a different profession?
It’s Playtime During Competition Time
VERONICA LESTER/Pinterest VERONICA LESTER/PinterestThere are some people who participate in athletics who believe that competition is not the most important part of the game and that having fun is what it’s all about. You may be saying “how is this possible?” when it comes to international athletic competitions when medals are at stake.
People will not like their jobs if it doesn’t not bring them some type of enjoyment. This also goes for athletes. Although the ladies in the image are in a competition of some kind, they are also having a little fun while doing it. Or maybe they’re doing an impersonation of a fountain fish?
Trampled In The Steeple
@jquinichi/Twitter @jquinichi/TwitterIn this action shot, we see Portuguese runner Clarisse Cruz being nearly trampled in the Olympic event known as the steeplechase. This particular event is similar to a mini obstacle course that spreads out to 3000m and is considered one of the most difficult in the games. Clearly, there are “downfalls” to such a tricky event and Clarisse knows that better than anyone.
While the steeplechase is Cruz’s specialty, she ended up finishing in 11th place that year with a final time of just over nine minutes and 32 seconds. We can only imagine how much better she would have placed had she not fallen!
Floored….
Paul F Davis/Pinterest Paul F Davis/PinterestKazakhstan gymnast Moldir Azimbay does not look like she is having the greatest day in this shot, does she? Although this picture portrays a fall that was more serious and harmful than it ended up being, it is never good when an athlete takes a tumble during a floor performance like Moldir unfortunately did.
She was performing at the 2012 Olympic Games that were held in London. While this misstep may have cost Azimbay a medal that year, we just hope that she recovered mentally and physically, and that she didn’t sustain any serious injuries from it. Just look at the way her neck is bent… Ouch!
Let It Go
@jablancob19/Twitter @jablancob19/TwitterUnfortunately for 2012 Olympic competitive weightlifter Maria Alexandra Escobar Guerrero, of Ecuador, weights of that caliber can sometimes be too difficult to manage without some type of bodily reaction. The young woman, unfortunately, dropped the weight during the event, but held her head high for such an embarrassing and public moment.
It has been Escobar’s dream to win an Olympic medal and she’s even competed in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, and 2012 in London. Unfortunately, she has yet to achieve her goal, but was still honored to represent her country in the opening ceremonies in those games.
Sally Pearson Gets the Bad End of the Stick
@p00ya_/Twitter @p00ya_/TwitterSally Pearson is considered by many in the world of track and field to be one of the best hurdlers in the world. She is the 2011 world champion in the 100-meter hurdles. She is also an Olympic champion in the 100-meter hurdles, which she achieved in the 2012 Olympics. With these achievements it would seem like Sally Pearson would be the happiest person in her sport.
Sally Pearson has taken the bitter with the sweet when it comes to her performance in this race. The image shown displays a bitter moment that was caught on camera. She came up short in this track meet and it was not taken lightly.
U.F.G – An Unidentified Flying Gymnast
FingersInTheDirt/Imgur FingersInTheDirt/ImgurWhat exactly is going on here? Houston, we have a problem. This is no trick ladies and gentlemen. It seems like this gymnast is flying through the air. At the same time, it seems like she is falling. How do you fly and fall at the same time? This is beyond comprehension, but apparently, this gymnast seems to have rearranged the laws of gravity.
Along with bending the rules of gravity is the facial expression that reeks of an athletic fail. This image may be the thing that meme dreams are made of. Hopefully, she made a soft landing because it already looks painful going through the air.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Make Her Mad!
IamTooBoredToThink/Imgur IamTooBoredToThink/ImgurYou have heard the old saying “a face only a mother could love.” I think this tennis player is even past that point. There are good days and bad days in every sport, and this woman seems to be past what is considered to be a bad day.
You may think of certain sports and anger going hand in hand, especially contact sports. You might have seen a football player getting into an argument with a referee or even getting into it with an opponent. Hockey is always associated with aggression as well. Tennis is usually not associated with anger on this type of level, but this woman is in Hulk mode.
Pass It On
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty ImagesAgain with the baton blunders, USA runner Torri Edwards has a very disgusted look on her face as she attempted to pass the baton to her teammate Lauryn, but failed to get it there on the first try. With all of the training, pain, agony and effort that goes into physically preparing for an event like this, it is truly a travesty when something as easy as passing the button messes up the chances of gold.
This incident happened at the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. Apparently, dropping the baton in this type of race is a frequent problem for American relay teams.
Out Of Breath
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Ian Walton/Getty Images Ian Walton/Getty ImagesWomen’s weightlifting has to be one of the most challenging sports in the Olympics and requires years of training, placement, lifting, dieting, and much more than we even realize. Thailand’s weightlifting athlete Rattikan Gulnoi is out of breath in this aerial shot after competing in the London Olympics in 2012. We cannot even imagine how tired she would be – look at that bar!
That year, Gulnoi originally finished in fourth place, but after Ukraine’s Yuliya Kalina was disqualified for prohibited steroid use, Gulnoi was promoted and ended up earning the bronze medal. It seems that her look of exasperation was well-earned after all.