A lifter from Russia, Alexander Sedykh fractured both knees while lifting 408 kilograms of weight.
He was seriously injured while competing at the 2020 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WPRF) Championship held in Dolgoprudny, Russia.
In a video uploaded by WRPF on Facebook, Sedykh is seen getting ready to try to lift a weight of 408 kilograms.
In the 37-second video, Sedykh is seen wearing blue clothes and four people are at the end of the barbell.
When lifting the weight, Sedykh’s body seemed to shake and his legs took two steps back.
With a shaking body, he tried to squat down to lower the barbell.
But his efforts were in vain, he fell and almost the barbell weighing 408 kg hit him.
He fell down with his knees touching the floor and heard a ‘crack’ sound like a broken bone.
He then screamed in pain, immediately the medical team on site handled him.
Sedykh underwent an emergency operation which lasted six hours, “said Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
“Doctors said they operated on my knee well, and the quadriceps were sutured with two stitches,” said Sedykh.
“My wife said my meniscus was torn and its veins fell off. But they had all been stitched up,” he said.
The person in charge for the WRPF did not immediately respond to a request for an interview from CNN.
“Everything hurts, but we survive,” said Sedykh.
He said he was not discouraged, even his ambition would continue to train and participate in competitions when he was fully recovered.
“How is it going? I have to lie down for two months, then move my legs, then learn to walk again and recover,” he said.
The tournament was also attended by a number of athletes in several categories, including powerlifting, bench press, combination power, deadlift, and armlifting.
There is no definite timetable for Sedykh’s recovery, and it is unclear whether he will continue his career after he recovers or not.
