AP PHOTOS: Winter Olympians take crash course in physics
- Feb. 14, 2022 08:46 AM EST
Ren Ziwei, left, of China, Brendan Corey of Australia, and Itzhak Laat, centre, of the Netherlands, crash in their quarterfinal of the men's 1,000-meter during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing.
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BEIJING (AP) — Sometimes Olympic dreams and physics are on an unenviable collision course.

Athletes have literally crashed out of competition, ending their quests for a medal by smashing into siding, toppling over amid a crowded cross-country skiing field or simply pitching face-first into the snow. Their hopes live and die on the edge of their skate, snowboard or ski.

For a public accustomed to watching Olympians flawlessly execute superhuman feats, a tussle with gravity is a reminder that even athletes in the most rarefied of circles are all too human.

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