Paris Olympics 2024 Update: 34-Year-Old Gymnast Aims for Redemption 8 Years After Horrific Injury

This time, the FIG Apparatus World Cup holds a special austerity to provide the Paris Olympics qualification. So, eventually, the contest received more pomp from the artistic gymnastics communities from the farthest corners. The World Cup series is taking place, divided into four episodes. The first one in Cairo concluded its showtime on February 18. Now, the contention is stepping into the German town of Cottbus, on the bank of River Spree. Next, Baku and Doha will hold the FIG Apparatus World Cup in March and April to finalize the names.

On that estimate, a participating athlete needs to collect the best three results on those four occasions to ultimately catch his/her Paris Olympic selection. A French veteran is also on the same route. For him, the selection perspective changed throughout the years. But his grinding all these years already demanded accolades from the behemoths, even from the Paris Olympics committee. Let’s have a look at that. 

Paris Olympics bows to the French grit in human

Artistic gymnastics fans may remember the sobbing face of Samir Aït Saïd from the Rio Olympics. That gymnast had to pull out from the contest because of his left tibia and fibula fracture received in the vault exercise that day in Rio. However, even after 8 years, the French gymnast is again living his Olympic dream through the FIG Apparatus World Cup. He is all set to appear in Cottbus to earn his Paris Olympics ticket. So noting that extraordinary grit of the French man, the Olympics’s IG handle penned down, “French artistic gymnast Samir Ait Said hopes to make his third Olympic Games on home turf at #Paris2024”. The story of unmatched valor took a different distinction as Samir shared his evil fortune before Rio as well. 

Before trying his flick in the London Olympics, the European Championship medalist had broken his knee. That had nipped his Olympic dream in the bud. Moreover, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Samir claimed the 4th position in the Still Rings final, inches short of his claim for an Olympic medal. So at 34 years of age, he is still hoping to change his Olympic fate. 

A last dance before the home crowd 

The repeated failures couldn’t cause a chink in Samir Aït Saïd’s Iron-cast attitude. In excelling at his motivation, he once said, “I have zero pressure. What would that be for me? I have already experienced the Olympics where I missed a medal because of a serious injury. What’s the worst that can happen to me?” That desperado ultimately worked for him. Moreover, in this riveting fight, the veteran had once received his father’s helping hand. 

Read more: Paris Olympics 2024: Suni Lee Sets Sights on Winter Cup Glory

So, Samir considered the fight for the Paris Olympics as a battle that he must win. In Cairo, he scored 14,433 to come in fifth position in the Still Rings bout. Now, Cottbus will add the next chapter to it. 

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