Olympic Race Walker Euthanized After Twisting Ankle

Tokyo – A Chinese race walker was euthanized after spraining his right ankle in the men’s 20 km event.

Lee Ho Phuc was triaged on the track by olympic doctors and a diagnostic examination determined that it was an unrecoverable injury.

Dr. Hugh Janus explained, “for a highly skilled athlete such as a race walker, they must be euthanized after sustaining a leg or ankle injury. They would not have much of a life. Some are put out to stud, but the Chinese athletes are always euthanized after embarrassing the country.”

Race Walking Gets a Bad Wrap

Race walking is a very misunderstood sport. In most countries race walkers are laughed at and ridiculed. As they parade and gyrate around town, they are often pelted with garbage and rotting vegetables. However, they are highly respected in China. They are treated like kings as long as they are on top of their game. It is quite a different story if they fail. 

Race walkers especially have a poor chance of healing because of their structural makeup, inability to restrict their movement, and infections. Euthanasia is the most humane option in most cases.

Besides the mental and emotional aspect, a race walker’s anatomy is designed for standing. They even sleep standing. If a walker lies down for too long, they develop sores. For a walker’s broken leg to heal, it requires little to no weight-bearing.

Phuc was fourth at the start of the 20 km race, and dropped to sixth in the field of eight. He was making his move and was in first place at the start of the stretch. As Phuc wiggled his hips furiously, he stepped in a gopher hole and twisted his ankle. He went down like a sack of bricks.

Phuc is the ninth olympian to be euthanized from a racing or training injury during the 2021 olympics.