Watch as a defending Olympic champion painfully face-plants after falling off the high bar
Getty Images/Dean Mouhtaropoulos
But his dreams of repeat Olympic gold were dashed when his hands slipped from the bar during a difficult release move. Zonderland fell hard, landing face down on the mat. And when he didn't immediately rebound, the crowd grew so quiet that the only sound in the stadium was the rattling of the bar itself.
Thankfully, after a few seconds, Zonderland was back on his feet and appeared unharmed - though he was sporting a red mark right where his forehead slapped the mat. He bravely finished the routine without any further errors, but ended up finishing seventh out of eight competitors.
Here's the full video of the fall:
Epke Zonderland?, reigning gold medalist on the high bar, fell hard during the event final. https://t.co/GC8JvEK3lf https://t.co/iBizhFGlb7
- NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 17, 2016
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