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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