Dirk van Tichelt won his first Olympic judo medal Monday. (Getty)
Dirk Van Tichelt probably didn’t envision one of the
greatest days of his life ending in the hospital. But that’s exactly
where the Belgian judoka found himself Monday night hours after winning
his first-ever Olympic medal.
Van Tichelt won bronze in the 73-kg judo competition
on Monday. Naturally, he went off to Copacabana Beach that night to
celebrate the achievement. And that’s where things went awry.
Van Tichelt was reportedly assaulted by a thief on
the famous beach, and was struck in the face. He was taken to the
hospital after the incident.
The thief, who was reportedly Brazilian, came away
with a cellphone, but, crucially, not with a bronze medal. That allowed
Van Tichelt to take this epic picture the following day:
The Belgian Olympic Committee released a statement
confirming the details, and saying that Van Tichelt didn’t require
treatment at the hospital. He appeared at a media event the next day
with a black eye, and, undoubtedly, a smile on his face.
Van Tichelt now has more than just a medal to commemorate his Olympic success.
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