Dramatic Incident at Athletics Event Leaves Official in Stable Condition: You Won't Believe What Happened Next!

An athletics official at the Asian Games in Hangzhou suffered a broken leg and severe bleeding after being struck by a wayward hammer. Thankfully, the spokesperson for the games has confirmed that the official's vital signs are now stable.

At around 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, Ali Zankawi from Kuwait was preparing to make a throw in the men's hammer final at the crowded Olympic stadium in Hangzhou. However, instead of flying straight into the designated area, the hammer veered sideways and to the right, colliding with the leg of a technical official who was seated nearby.

Zankawi raced over in a state of terror as blood gushed from the leg of the official. Huang Qinhua, 62, grimaced and staggered disorientedly as Zankawi hurried to assess his condition, with blood forcefully escaping from the injury.

In a matter of seconds, Zankawi skillfully fashioned a tourniquet on Huang's thigh using his massive hands and strength, effectively stopping the bleeding. Shortly afterwards, medical professionals attended to Huang, immobilizing his leg with a tourniquet and transporting him via stretcher to a nearby hospital.

He arrived at the hospital at 20:15 and was diagnosed with a right open tibiofibular fracture, according to Games spokesman Xu Deqing during a news conference on Sunday. He added, "Currently, his vital signs are stable."

An official grimaces in agony as his leg is hit by a stray hammer hurled by Ali Zankawi (L) in his attempt to alleviate the bleeding during the men's hammer throw final athletics event.

Afterwards, Zankawi appeared shaken and was observed inquiring about the official, as reported by a Reuters witness.

Although Zankawi finished in eighth place, the final was ultimately triumphed by China's Wang Qi. Notwithstanding, Zankawi achieved his personal best of 67.57 m for the season in the second round before his unsuccessful throw.

In typical athletics competitions, the official positioned themselves a few meters away from the cage-like netting that encloses the area in which athletes spin and make their throws. However, due to the immense power and speed of the 7.26-kg (16-pound) metal ball being hurled, the netting provided only minimal cushioning for its trajectory rather than halting it completely.

The netting in athletic events is specifically designed to hang with a loose tension in order to prevent hammer balls and discuses from rebounding towards the athletes in case of incorrect throws.

Several Weibo users, where the incident gained popularity on Sunday, expressed their concern regarding the safety protocols and suggested enhancing them to provide better protection for officials.