9 Awkward Olympics Moments Caught on Camera

Each time the Olympic Games occur, the world’s attention shifts to the top athletes and their performance. Despite showcasing some of the most incredible achievements of what a human body can do, these games also bring quite a lot of cringy moments. Since the first worldwide broadcast in 1964, the Olympics have delivered both memorable and uncomfortable clips, leaving audiences talking about everything from unpleasant interviews to shattered dreams on the biggest stage.

Here are some of the most awkward Olympics moments caught on live TV.

Pole vaulter’s pole snaps in mid-air

During the 2012 Olympics, Cuban pole vaulter Lázaro Borges faced a shocking mishap when his pole shattered mid-air at 18 feet during qualifications. The moment, captured by the Daily Mail, showed shards of fiberglass flying while almost 100k spectators held their breath. Fortunately, Borges walked away unharmed but missed his chance to qualify for the finals. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first incident of its kind, as in 1988, Daley Thompson experienced a similar pole break during the decathlon. This sport truly delivers a thrilling emotional ride!

Awkward, premature victory celebration

The 2016 Rio Olympics had many fun moments, but Chinese boxer Lü Bin’s experience stands out among all of them. After a close match against Kenyan boxer Peter Warui, Bin believed he had finally defeated his opponent. But then the judges’ decision was announced, bringing the total score to 2-1. In that moment, Bin was not happy to have celebrated early. He was kind of a sore loser about it and addressed the judges’ decision, saying it stole his dream. Of course, nothing came out of it, and rather than allowing this setback to define him, Bin went pro in 2017 and claimed victory in his first professional fight with a knockout.

Little girl caught lip-syncing at the Olympics

This one’s kind of heartbreaking. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony, Lin Miaoke, a nine-year-old singer, passionately performed “Ode to the Motherland.” Or at least that’s what she thought she was doing, as the voice coming out of the loudspeakers belonged to a different kid, who was deemed a “better singer” by the Olympics committee. Lin’s father noticed the difference almost immediately, but all he could do was stand there and watch. Chen Qigang, the musical director, explained that the decision came from high-level government officials after feedback during rehearsals.