French swimmer Rafael Fente-Damers' excitement upon qualifying for the Paris Olympics came at a cost, as the 17-year-old dislocated his left shoulder while celebrating qualifying for his first Olympics. Fente-Damers earned a spot on the French 4x100m relay team at the French Olympic trials in Chartres, posting a personal best time of 48.14 seconds to beat the Olympic qualifying time of 48.34.
Upon qualifying, Fente-Damers excitedly began slapping the water in celebration before clutching his left shoulder, and he was later seen on the podium with his arm in a sling. According to the French outlet L'Equipe, Fente-Damers suffered a dislocated shoulder and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Hello @FFLose ! Rafael Fente-Damers 🏊♂️, pépite de 18 ans, a composté son billet pour le 100 mètres nage libre aux JO (48"14 !), et par la même occasion... s'est déboité l'épaule. Oui oui. pic.twitter.com/Ux1feNMx51
— Ronan Caroff (@CaroffRonan) June 18, 2024
Fente-Damers finished just behind French swimming star and Olympic teammate Maxime Grousset, who attracted the attention of medical staff and assisted Fente-Damers out of the pool.
"I hope it goes well for him because we're waiting for him for the relay," Grousset said, per Reuters. "He's a bit crazy, that's why he's good. He's not afraid of anything and I think he's going to progress."
Fente-Damers will have a little over a month to recover before swim competitions at the Paris Olympics begin on July 27.
