British Olympic Pole Vaulter Harry Coppell Smashes Two Front Teeth While Training in Tokyo
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Harry Coppell/instagram Harry Coppell
Pole vaulting events haven't started at the Tokyo Olympics yet, but competitors are already suffering injuries!
Harry Coppell, a pole vaulter on Team Great Britain, smashed his two front teeth during practice for the event.
On Wednesday, Coppell shared video of the moment he was injured.
In the slow-mo clip, the 25-year-old athlete can be seen hitting the bar with his chest as he vaulted over it, unlocking it from its hinge. Though he landed safely on the mat, he was unable to catch the bar in time before it smashed into his mouth.
Coppell's post included a photo of his face afterward showing one of his teeth chipped nearly in half and his other front teeth were bloody.
"Got some good vaulting done tonight at the @teamgb holding camp! HOWEVER… The bar then fell on my face and messed up all my teeth 🙄😅," he captioned his post.
"I hope @tokyo2020 has a good dentist around," he joked.
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"Don't worry bro, I knocked out 4," Team U.S.A. pole vaulter Sam Kendricks commented.
Coppell later shared a bleak update on his Instagram Story.
"All night with the dentist and i have one less tooth 🙄😅," he wrote alongside one of his front teeth that were seemingly pulled out. His chipped tooth still remained.
In another Story, the Team GB athlete said, "I'm gonna tell people I was in a bar fight...."
Harry Coppell/Instagram Harry Coppell
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Coppell won the British Athletics Championship in 2019 and 2020, setting a national record jump of 5.85 metres in the latter.
He's got a few days to heal. The mens qualifying rounds for pole vault aren't until June 30, with the finals on Aug. 3.
To learn more about Team USA, visit TeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics beginning July 23rd and the Tokyo Paralympics beginning August 24th on NBC.
