Ait Said already has had surgery in Rio after his left leg crumpled grotesquely while landing a vault during the men’s qualifying competition on Saturday.
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Samir Ait Said broke his leg at the Olympics and he can count on United States basketball star Paul George for support.
Aït Said is now recovering in the Vitoria Barra Hospital in Rio and despite the severity of the injury, he is showing remarkable positivity as he begins his long slog of rehabilitation.
With his leg in a cast and aided by a Zimmer frame the Frenchman has been walking along the hospital corridors and posing for photos.
On Sunday, just a day after suffering the gruesome his injury, Said posted a Facebook video from his hospital bed thanking people for the outpouring of support and pledging to return to the sport eventually.
Ait Said explained that the double open fracture of the tibia and fibula “required immediate surgery, which went very well”. The image of his leg bent grotesquely at a almost 90 degree angle went viral immediately.
The 25-year-old was helped off the floor at the Rio Olympic Arena but continued on the pommel horse to help his team qualify for Monday’s eight-team final, before hobbling off.
“They managed to get going after my fall, which must not have been easy”. That must have been really hard.
“So come on France, I’m behind all my pals”, Ait Said said in the video.
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“Believe me the adventure of Tokyo-2020 is still alive and once I’m up on my feet again we’re going to continue training and go for this Olympic gold”.
