A personal challenge that turns into a nightmare. The city of Dolgoprudny, situated on the outskirts of Moscow in Russia, welcomed in the month of August 2020 for a competition organized by the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WPRF). One of the athletes was very seriously injured by trying to lift the squat bar to 400 pounds, reports CNN, citing the official news agency, Russian RIA Novosti.

Alexander Sedykh, a powerlifter Russian, broke both his knees collapsing under the weight of the bar as shown in a horrific video posted on Facebook. On these images, we can see the athlete forward with the bar between the shoulder blades. The beginning of the descent is going well... and then, Alexander Sedykh falls. His knees break under the shock. The pain is beautiful and well visible, as shown by his face.

A long convalescence

In the wake of this accident, the athlete underwent emergency surgery which lasted six hours, reported RIA Novosti. The athlete remains positive even if the recovery will be long. "Everything hurts; but I want a good (...) What is the program ? I'm going to have to lie still for two months, without moving the legs ! And then, I'm going to have to relearn how to walk ", he says. The organizers of the event, contacted by CNN, have not wished to react. Alexander Sedykh is champion of Europe of the International Powerlifting League and the WRPF. For information, the world record squat is 456 kilos worn by Ray Williams.