July 31, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Felix Dolci (CAN) falls from the high bar in the men's all-around gymnastics final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports
PARIS (Reuters) - Canadian gymnast Felix Dolci was allowed to repeat his routine on the horizontal bar in the men's all-around final at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday after an equipment malfunction sent him flying in the air.
In an unusual turn of events, the 22-year-old's handgrip broke unexpectedly when he was swinging through a quality routine, causing him to crash hard onto the mat.
After being examined by team staff, Dolci walked away from the area, holding his snapped handgrip up to the crowd and showing off his badly bruised hand. He would return a few minutes later after other gymnasts in the rotation had gone for a second take.
The incident caused Dolci to drop from third at end of the second rotation to 23rd.
Under current rules, a gymnast can get a second try at a routine if it is interrupted for a reason beyond his or her control, including equipment breakage.
Although Dolci fell on his Kolman on the horizontal bar on his second attempt, he received boisterous applause from the crowd at Bercy Arena to commend him for his efforts.
Dolci formed a heart shape with his hands to thank the spectators for their support as he walked back to his team.
In his next apparatus, the floor, Dolci seemed to have lost none of his composure, scoring a solid 14.366 points, the highest of his rotation.
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, Karen Braun, Rory Carroll and Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
