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South Korean Weightlifter Snaps Elbow In Lift: Are Athletes Pushing Weight Loads Beyond Their Physical Capacities?

Yesterday many of us watched in agony as South Korean Olympic weightlifter Jaehyouk Sa snapped his elbow while trying to life 357.15 pounds. The injury again raised the question of whether weight lifters are trying to push weights beyond their physical limitations.

Obviously this constitutes an example of assumption of the risk but there are no real limits on what a weightlifter can try to hoist in competition. The South Korean is in the men’s 77kg category trying to lift 162kg.

One thing is certain. Between disqualified badminton players and a sitdown protest in fencing, this has not been a great week for the South Koreans.

Source: Yahoo

15 thoughts on “South Korean Weightlifter Snaps Elbow In Lift: Are Athletes Pushing Weight Loads Beyond Their Physical Capacities?”

  1. I was only able to bench press 300 lbs. Can’t do that now. Will have to work out for awhile.

  2. There is an upsurge in ankle breaks due to the non-skid shoes required in some jobs. Instead of the shoes swiveling, the ankle breaks.

  3. “South Korean Weightlifter Snaps Elbow In Lift: Are Athletes Pushing Weight Loads Beyond Their Physical Capacities?”

    You could certainly be forgiven for thinking that.

  4. “Bone Strength: ultimate properties (2.2.1)

    Human femur , compression. Longitudinal strength, 205 MPa; strain 0.019

    Compressive transverse strength, 131 MPa; strain 0.028-0.087.

    Tensile longitudinal strength, 135 MPa, strain 0.031,

    Tensile transverse strength, 53 MPa, strain 0.007.

    Shear strength, 65-71 MPa.”

    http://silver.neep.wisc.edu/~lakes/BoneAniso.html

    compressive strength of bone is 19,000 psi consider concrete at around 4,000 psi.

    Transverse Tensile strength is 7687 psi which is about 1/8 of steel [58 ksi].

    Sort of like ice, very good in compression but not so much in tension.

    The elbow probably broke in tension since that is the weakest for the bone and transversely since that is the weakest axis.

    Bone is very strong so my opinion is that this is probably a steroid problem or a technique problem.

    The human body is quite an amazing machine and is not as frail as people think.

  7. Technique, technique, technique . . .

    Sometimes it isn’t a matter of pushing one’s self but rather pushing the laws of physics which results in injury.

    Google: Broken Arm Wrestling

  8. Joe Montana.

    Everyone takes risks. Personal decisions. The problem is sometimes trying to blame someone else when things don’t go right.

  9. Scary video. It reminds me of the pitcher that broke his arm in mid pitch a few years ago. If the lifter is doped up, he is finding out the stupidity in using steroids.

  10. I worked on a personal injury case where the plaintiff sued claiming knee surgery was needed because of a slip and fall. We learned he was a competetive weight lifter and I uncovered he was a steroid user. One of the side effects of steroids is joint deterioration. I know testing is done in the Olympics, but that’s certainly a possibility in this lifter’s history. Maybe not, but I’m skeptical particularly considering the sport.

  11. One of the reasons I always found the old TV show “Six Million Dollar Man” with Lee Majors so unbelievable. He was always picking up really heavy stuff and tossing it around. I know all those prop I-beams and boulders were made of Styrofoam in the series, but if they were real, how would his spine and other non-mechanical bones have fared? Obviously, not well.

  12. Of course they are trying to push the limits!!!!!

    You do not become world class in anything if you can push yourself to the limit, or even beyond.

    Try running a marathon, and at the wall (20 miles) tell me if a limit push attempt is needed.

    Try becoming world class at anything without pushing the limit.
    You’ll never be world class at anything, if you do not push the limit.

    I’m sorry for pushing the limit by saying “push the limit”, and “world class” so many times, but I wanted to be a world class – limit pusher.

  13. Filed under D for “Duh”.
    Honestly I’m surprised it hasn’t been happening more for the very reason Frankly mentions.

  14. At least he has part of the Kelloggs routine down….. Snap, Cracker….. And pop…..

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