Oops: Sports Photographer Gets Hit by Shot Putter

Mar 21, 2016

Here’s a strange occupational hazard for certain sports photographers: getting hit by a shot putter. That’s what happened to one photographer at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Portland, Oregon.

Last Friday, American shot putter Kendell Williams accidentally hurled her 8.8 lb (4 kg) shot too far to the left, striking a crouching photographer who was shooting on one knee. The incident was caught on camera and described by commentators.

Bet that hurt. #Portland2016 pic.twitter.com/MfL77yHsjK

— Will Downing (@WillDowningComm) March 18, 2016

Did anyone else just witness that photographer take a shot put to the knee? Or was it only me! ?

— KJT (@JohnsonThompson) March 18, 2016

@JohnsonThompson ? the guy played it off like it was nothing but we know how painful that must've been ?

— Aled Davies MBE (@AledDavies2012) March 18, 2016

Pentathlete just took out photographer with the shot. Beautiful. #portland2016

— Gabriella Pieraccini (@smokymozzarella) March 18, 2016

@smokymozzarella We regular t&f photographers collectively winced. He was in a place the officials will have declared "safe".

— Tom Phillips (@TomSprints) March 18, 2016

Thankfully, it appears that the photographer was okay after the scare. He’s lucky the shot didn’t break his gear or his bones.