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Athletes are known for their ability to play through pain, but the Olympic Games have showcased some of the most extraordinary acts of courage over the years.
Injuries in sports are inevitable but after four years of training for their one moment, Olympic athletes are unlikely to give up on their dream without a fight.
Over the years we've witnessed famous faces battle through everything from fractured jaws to broken legs and torn ligaments in order to achieve their goal.
Here, Sportsmail have rounded up some of the most serve injures that athletes have competed with and still won an Olympic medal.
Shun Fujimoto - Broken Knee
Shun Fujimoto helped Japan win gold at the 1976 Games in Montreal after hiding the fact that he had broken his knee earlier in the competition.
Having won gold in the previous four Olympic Games, pressure was mounting on Japan's gymnastics team and Fujimoto refused to be the reason for their downfall.
Therefore, he decided to compete in two further events after breaking his knee during his floor exercise earlier in the competition.
Fujimoto completed his pommel horse routine - scoring 9.5 - before taking to his final event, the rings.
The rings required Fujimoto to land on his injured leg after dismounting from a height of almost three metres. Nevertheless, he stuck the landing on both feet and remained standing.
His efforts scored him an incredible 9.7, however, the landing saw him cause more damage - dislocating his kneecap and tearing the surrounding ligaments.
Having assessed the gymnast's injuries, one doctor said: 'How he managed to do somersaults and twists and land without collapsing in screams is beyond my comprehension.'
Kate Richardson-Walsh - Fractured Jaw
Kate Richardson-Walsh's 2012 Olympic Games looked as though it was over just as it had begun when she fractured her jaw in her GB's opening game against Japan.
The Great Britain captain was struck on her jaw by a hockey stick as she looked to make a tackle in the closing minutes of the game.
Richardson-Walsh immediately fell to the ground, screaming and holding her face as the medical team ran on to treat her.
Having been guided off the pitch with a bag of ice pressed against her jaw, Richardson-Walsh was rushed off to hospital to undergo an emergency surgery.
Having had a metal plate put into her face, the defender remarkably missed just two games before returning to the pitch.
While wearing a protective mask, Richardson-Walsh lead her team to the bronze medal before going a step further to win gold at Rio.
Manteo Mitchell - Broken Leg
American athlete Manteo Mitchell ran the last 200m of the 2012 Olympic men's 4x400m relay heats with a broken left leg.
Mitchell, who ran the first 200m comfortably, says he felt his leg break just after the halfway mark.
However, he said he didn't want to let his teammates down so he pushed through the pain to complete the race.
Mitchell still managed to finish the opening lap in 46.1 seconds – helping the US team set a qualifying time of two minutes and 58.87 seconds.
Speaking of the incident, he said: 'As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark I felt it break. I heard it. I even put out a little war cry but the crowd was so loud you couldn't hear it. I wanted to just lie down. It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half.
'I knew if I finished strong we could still get the baton around. I saw Josh Mance motioning me in for me to hand it off to him, which lifted me.
'I didn't want to let those three guys down, or the team down, so I just ran on it. It hurt so bad. I'm pretty amazed that I still split 45 seconds on a broken leg.'
The sprinter was unable to compete in the final after an x-ray confirmed he had broken his left fibula bone during the race.
Nevertheless, US went on to win Olympic gold thanks to the courage shown by Mitchell.
Derek Redmond - Torn Hamstring
One of the most iconic injuries in the history of the Olympic Games is that of Derek Redmond.
He had missed the 1986 Common Wealth games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to injury and had hoped to make up for lost time at the 1992 Games.
However, it wasn't to be as he tore his hamstring in the 400-metre semi-final. Nevertheless, it was what happened next that went down in history.
Redmond was 250m in when his hamstring went. The athlete pulled up and fell to the ground before finding the determination to finish the race.
He hobbled along the track, crying from the severe pain and emotional turmoil of missing out on another Olympic medal.
Redmond's dad rushed out from the crowd to help his son make it the finish line. Arm in arm, the pair compete the race - creating a historic moment along the way.
Although the injury ended Redwood's athletics career, he went on to play basketball for England.
Kerri Strug - Torn Ankle Ligaments
Kerri Strug created history by completing her vault routine on an injured ankle to secure the US women's team their first goal medal in the 1996 Games.
In the final event of the competition – the vault – Dominique Moceanu failed to stick her landing and ruined her chances of scoring of 9.4 to secure Olympic Gold for the American side.
Therefore, the pressure rested on the shoulders of Strug - who was just 18 years old at the time.
Unfortunately, she fell on her first attempt and heard her ankle snap during the awkward landing. She limped back to the start line - visibly injured.
It was later discovered that the youngster had actually torn two ligaments in her ankle.
However, the four-foot, nine-inch gymnast was encouraged to go again in order to secure Olympic gold for her team.
She prepared herself for her final vault, sprinted down the runway and sprung off the board while using her injured ankle.
Strug also stuck her landing, winning gold, before hopping one leg to ease the pressure on her injury.
Strug was historically carried off the floor and awarded her medal while wrapped up in a cast.
As a result of Strug's ankle injury, she had to withdraw from the all-around singles event.
Greg Louganis – Concussion
Greg Louganis arrived at the Seoul Olympic Games in the form of his life - having already won two gold medals in LA in 1984.
He was poised to defend his diving glory and was named as one of the athletes to watch.
However, it wasn't all plain sailing for the American diver at the 1988 Games as he hit his head on the diving board in the preliminary rounds - putting his chances of medaling in jeopardy.
The back of Louganis' head hit the diving board in the middle of his routine and he dropped into the water, leaving the crowd in fear.
However, he resurfaced quickly after and swam to the edge of the pool to get medical help.
Speaking of the incident he told PEOPLE: 'It was pretty gruesome.
'They sewed me up poolside, then I continued diving and later they cleaned it up, shaved it and put proper stitches in.'
Despite ongoing concern over his concussion, Louganis was eager to compete and ended up winning two Olympic gold medals.
As a result, he became the first male diver to win gold in both the springboard and the platform events in the '84 and '88 Olympics.
Naidan Tuvshinbayar - Torn ACL
Tuvshinbayar Naidan won silver in the men's heavyweight competition in 2012 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the semi-final against South Korea's Hwang Hee-tae.
The Mongolian judoka had been 'screaming in pain' following the injury and was expected to pull out of the final.
The 2012 officials at the ExCeL's centre had even prepared for the final to be called off after the incident.
However, the 2008 Olympic champion confirmed he would defend his title against Russia's Tagir Khaibulaev.
Andreas Toba - Torn ACL
German gymnast Andreas Toba suffered a torn ACL during the qualifying rounds for the men’s floor event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Having landed awkwardly, Toba went down injured and immediately started crying before medics rushed onto the scene.
Toba’s team-mates were left feeling worried about both the 25-year-old himself and their chances of progressing through the competition.
However, Toba manager to complete his pommel horse event just hours later to see Germany qualify for the next round.
Having struggled through the fight to claim the silver medal, Tuvshinbayar was rushed home in a wheelchair.
He was forced to undergo surgery and slowly fought his way back to health to go on and win his first World Cup gold in 2010.
Courtesy of: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/o...etes-pushed-extraordinary-pain-win-medal.html
Athletes are known for their ability to play through pain, but the Olympic Games have showcased some of the most extraordinary acts of courage over the years.
Injuries in sports are inevitable but after four years of training for their one moment, Olympic athletes are unlikely to give up on their dream without a fight.
Over the years we've witnessed famous faces battle through everything from fractured jaws to broken legs and torn ligaments in order to achieve their goal.
Here, Sportsmail have rounded up some of the most serve injures that athletes have competed with and still won an Olympic medal.
Shun Fujimoto - Broken Knee
Shun Fujimoto helped Japan win gold at the 1976 Games in Montreal after hiding the fact that he had broken his knee earlier in the competition.
Having won gold in the previous four Olympic Games, pressure was mounting on Japan's gymnastics team and Fujimoto refused to be the reason for their downfall.
Therefore, he decided to compete in two further events after breaking his knee during his floor exercise earlier in the competition.
Fujimoto completed his pommel horse routine - scoring 9.5 - before taking to his final event, the rings.
The rings required Fujimoto to land on his injured leg after dismounting from a height of almost three metres. Nevertheless, he stuck the landing on both feet and remained standing.
His efforts scored him an incredible 9.7, however, the landing saw him cause more damage - dislocating his kneecap and tearing the surrounding ligaments.
Having assessed the gymnast's injuries, one doctor said: 'How he managed to do somersaults and twists and land without collapsing in screams is beyond my comprehension.'
Kate Richardson-Walsh - Fractured Jaw
Kate Richardson-Walsh's 2012 Olympic Games looked as though it was over just as it had begun when she fractured her jaw in her GB's opening game against Japan.
The Great Britain captain was struck on her jaw by a hockey stick as she looked to make a tackle in the closing minutes of the game.
Richardson-Walsh immediately fell to the ground, screaming and holding her face as the medical team ran on to treat her.
Having been guided off the pitch with a bag of ice pressed against her jaw, Richardson-Walsh was rushed off to hospital to undergo an emergency surgery.
Having had a metal plate put into her face, the defender remarkably missed just two games before returning to the pitch.
While wearing a protective mask, Richardson-Walsh lead her team to the bronze medal before going a step further to win gold at Rio.
Manteo Mitchell - Broken Leg
American athlete Manteo Mitchell ran the last 200m of the 2012 Olympic men's 4x400m relay heats with a broken left leg.
Mitchell, who ran the first 200m comfortably, says he felt his leg break just after the halfway mark.
However, he said he didn't want to let his teammates down so he pushed through the pain to complete the race.
Mitchell still managed to finish the opening lap in 46.1 seconds – helping the US team set a qualifying time of two minutes and 58.87 seconds.
Speaking of the incident, he said: 'As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark I felt it break. I heard it. I even put out a little war cry but the crowd was so loud you couldn't hear it. I wanted to just lie down. It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half.
'I knew if I finished strong we could still get the baton around. I saw Josh Mance motioning me in for me to hand it off to him, which lifted me.
'I didn't want to let those three guys down, or the team down, so I just ran on it. It hurt so bad. I'm pretty amazed that I still split 45 seconds on a broken leg.'
The sprinter was unable to compete in the final after an x-ray confirmed he had broken his left fibula bone during the race.
Nevertheless, US went on to win Olympic gold thanks to the courage shown by Mitchell.
Derek Redmond - Torn Hamstring
One of the most iconic injuries in the history of the Olympic Games is that of Derek Redmond.
He had missed the 1986 Common Wealth games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to injury and had hoped to make up for lost time at the 1992 Games.
However, it wasn't to be as he tore his hamstring in the 400-metre semi-final. Nevertheless, it was what happened next that went down in history.
Redmond was 250m in when his hamstring went. The athlete pulled up and fell to the ground before finding the determination to finish the race.
He hobbled along the track, crying from the severe pain and emotional turmoil of missing out on another Olympic medal.
Redmond's dad rushed out from the crowd to help his son make it the finish line. Arm in arm, the pair compete the race - creating a historic moment along the way.
Although the injury ended Redwood's athletics career, he went on to play basketball for England.
Kerri Strug - Torn Ankle Ligaments
Kerri Strug created history by completing her vault routine on an injured ankle to secure the US women's team their first goal medal in the 1996 Games.
In the final event of the competition – the vault – Dominique Moceanu failed to stick her landing and ruined her chances of scoring of 9.4 to secure Olympic Gold for the American side.
Therefore, the pressure rested on the shoulders of Strug - who was just 18 years old at the time.
Unfortunately, she fell on her first attempt and heard her ankle snap during the awkward landing. She limped back to the start line - visibly injured.
It was later discovered that the youngster had actually torn two ligaments in her ankle.
However, the four-foot, nine-inch gymnast was encouraged to go again in order to secure Olympic gold for her team.
She prepared herself for her final vault, sprinted down the runway and sprung off the board while using her injured ankle.
Strug also stuck her landing, winning gold, before hopping one leg to ease the pressure on her injury.
Strug was historically carried off the floor and awarded her medal while wrapped up in a cast.
As a result of Strug's ankle injury, she had to withdraw from the all-around singles event.
Greg Louganis – Concussion
Greg Louganis arrived at the Seoul Olympic Games in the form of his life - having already won two gold medals in LA in 1984.
He was poised to defend his diving glory and was named as one of the athletes to watch.
However, it wasn't all plain sailing for the American diver at the 1988 Games as he hit his head on the diving board in the preliminary rounds - putting his chances of medaling in jeopardy.
The back of Louganis' head hit the diving board in the middle of his routine and he dropped into the water, leaving the crowd in fear.
However, he resurfaced quickly after and swam to the edge of the pool to get medical help.
Speaking of the incident he told PEOPLE: 'It was pretty gruesome.
'They sewed me up poolside, then I continued diving and later they cleaned it up, shaved it and put proper stitches in.'
Despite ongoing concern over his concussion, Louganis was eager to compete and ended up winning two Olympic gold medals.
As a result, he became the first male diver to win gold in both the springboard and the platform events in the '84 and '88 Olympics.
Naidan Tuvshinbayar - Torn ACL
Tuvshinbayar Naidan won silver in the men's heavyweight competition in 2012 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the semi-final against South Korea's Hwang Hee-tae.
The Mongolian judoka had been 'screaming in pain' following the injury and was expected to pull out of the final.
The 2012 officials at the ExCeL's centre had even prepared for the final to be called off after the incident.
However, the 2008 Olympic champion confirmed he would defend his title against Russia's Tagir Khaibulaev.
Andreas Toba - Torn ACL
German gymnast Andreas Toba suffered a torn ACL during the qualifying rounds for the men’s floor event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Having landed awkwardly, Toba went down injured and immediately started crying before medics rushed onto the scene.
Toba’s team-mates were left feeling worried about both the 25-year-old himself and their chances of progressing through the competition.
However, Toba manager to complete his pommel horse event just hours later to see Germany qualify for the next round.
Having struggled through the fight to claim the silver medal, Tuvshinbayar was rushed home in a wheelchair.
He was forced to undergo surgery and slowly fought his way back to health to go on and win his first World Cup gold in 2010.
Courtesy of: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/o...etes-pushed-extraordinary-pain-win-medal.html
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