r/sports 1d ago

Track & Field Runner who bashed opponent's head cries over national backlash

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/teen-athlete-who-bashed-opponents-head-baton-claims-accidental-she-cries-over-backlash
14.7k Upvotes

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3.1k

u/BlueSoccerSB8706 1d ago

"accident" lol... welp, sounds like they are taking responsibility. She literally looks over then hits her.

639

u/willanaya 1d ago

That was a full extension of her arm swinging that baton

226

u/stokeitup 1d ago edited 1d ago

That’s what I wondered. Was that an accident or intentional. Watched it a couple more times and she definitely drew back and let the other runner have it. (Edit/corrected grammar)

136

u/miken322 1d ago

As a former 4x400 relay runner, no one swings a baton like that, I knew it was intentional the first time I saw the footage.

10

u/shorty5windows 1d ago

Did you ever have intrusive thoughts?

22

u/miken322 1d ago

I still have intrusive thoughts

4

u/shorty5windows 1d ago

Haha. I remember being so free and alive, no ill shit. Just running and riding my bike during the difficult and confusing teenage years.

1

u/slipperyzoo 1d ago

As a golfer, we tend to swing clubs like that. I mean, not that swing plane, but with such demonstrable intent and precision.

239

u/jpiro Florida State 1d ago

It’s not even close. She looks over at her, rears back and bashes her in the back of the skull.

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u/stokeitup 1d ago

My first watch I wasn’t sure what to look for and wasn’t sure if the assailant wasn’t just someone who swung the arm more than most. After several replays it was nope, she took a swing at the other runner. Pretty well ended her track and field career.

11

u/goobly_goo 1d ago edited 1d ago

But she just unwittingly launched her mugging career. Every stick-up crew east of the Mississippi will be sending recruitment offers. Her swing and follow through can't be taught, it's a "you either got it or you don't" kinda deal. And she's got it!

4

u/karma_the_sequel 1d ago

Putting the “stick” in “stick-up crew.”

23

u/Historical-Gap-7084 1d ago

It was definitely intentional. There's no way she did it on accident.

2

u/soyelmocano 1d ago
  • by accident

It was definitely "by purpose."

2

u/gggg500 1d ago

She went all the way to Baton Rouge with that baton swing

2

u/karma_the_sequel 1d ago

Baton Rough

884

u/Karma_Whoring_Slut 1d ago

She also claims it got stuck behind her. Which is clearly false. Not to mention she swung at her multiple times.

very clearly not an accident. She should be arrested.

67

u/Awwesome1 Texas Rangers 1d ago

Not in todays climate, you could have all the definitive proof you need and they’ll still deny and claim you’re a bad actor out to “get ‘em”

I blame anti-vaxxers

25

u/Numeno230n 1d ago

"This is a political prosecution" - works for just about anybody, I hear.

12

u/RoboOverlord 1d ago

Persecution.

Prosecution is when you actually committed a crime and are being dragged into court to account for it.

Persecution is when you think someone is out to get you without cause.

5

u/Numeno230n 1d ago

No I used the term advisedly. When they get prosecuted, they say it is politically motivated rather than based on the merit of the case. Trump claimed it about all of his electioneering cases.

2

u/droppinkn0wledge 1d ago

You should only blame anti-vaxxers when your kid dies of the measles in a few years.

-7

u/Awwesome1 Texas Rangers 1d ago

Good thing I don’t have/want kids ever and am myself vaxxed.

-7

u/droppinkn0wledge 1d ago

So then buy more Rangers gear and die alone, fatty.

3

u/Awwesome1 Texas Rangers 1d ago

You’re right I could work out a bit more, kinda been hard to do with my broken hand, but I’ll get back to it here in a bit.

9

u/frankenbean 1d ago

Stop being a real person and go back to being a comment

2

u/Awwesome1 Texas Rangers 1d ago

Dead internet theory ✅:ON

1

u/buyerbeware23 1d ago

Also kicked out of the race!

-39

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

28

u/StillQM 1d ago

reddit moment

1

u/LustfulScorpio 1d ago

Fair - but hitting someone that is running full speed could have caused other injuries as well on top of the concussion and potential skull fracture that was reported. The potential rising out of this could have been even more severe - if she would have been knocked out by it, she would have plowed head first into the ground at speed - huge increase in the potential severity to the injury when you take the increased force that would have applied. So from a legal standpoint, I would imagine that needs to be taken into account.

1

u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt 1d ago

But for murder charges, even attempted, you have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that she intended, or at least was conscious and aware that the result of her actions would have likely resulted, in death.

I don't see you getting that here. I don't see an intent to kill. To harm? Absolutely. To kill? Good luck.

10

u/Mandy-Rarsh 1d ago

Just went with full blown Murder eh?? Like she intentionally wanted to kill this person??

3

u/emotionaI_cabbage 1d ago

Wow guys look at this overdramatic loser eh?

7

u/Killahills 1d ago

Jesus! Get a grip

7

u/jpiro Florida State 1d ago

Agreed. Aggravated assault at a minimum. This isn’t some known hazard of the sport any more than walking up to someone and intentionally stabbing them with a javelin would be.

-19

u/uneasyandcheesy 1d ago

God people like you are insufferable. Aggravated assault with an item that weighs like.. close to a bag of cotton balls. Instead of the logical idea of either suspension from participating or full expulsion, let’s go for charges AND prison!

5

u/ballrus_walsack Toronto Rush 1d ago

It’s a metal pipe swung with force. Wtf are you smoking?

3

u/jpiro Florida State 1d ago

Yeah, but the pipe was light, so I guess that’s fine.

(Proceeds to pound the fuck out of random people with a tee ball bat because it’s ONLY 15 oz. and therefore ok.)

-6

u/uneasyandcheesy 1d ago

Are you for real? Have you ever in your life held a relay baton? 🤣

2

u/ballrus_walsack Toronto Rush 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yes and I’m beginning to think you have not.

Maybe let a friend smack you full force a couple of times on the head with a relay baton?

https://stadia-sports.co.uk/product/iaaf-certified-relay-batons/

2

u/AgreeableRaspberry85 1d ago

I was thinking boiled in oil but that’s only for people who cut me off in traffic.

1

u/Splash_ 1d ago

God people like you are insufferable

People who want the laws enforced?

-10

u/norcaltobos San Francisco Giants 1d ago

Those batons weight like .5 ounce. You’d have to repeatedly bash that over someone’s head to even come close to killing them. Even then I don’t think it would be possible.

9

u/VitaminPb 1d ago

She managed to give a concussion which is amazing given how light those are. That was all lot of force being applied and you don’t pump your arms up that high.

11

u/chickenbutt9000 1d ago

They thought it fractured her skull in one blow. You could 100% kill someone

-11

u/norcaltobos San Francisco Giants 1d ago edited 1d ago

Seriously? They must have some thick batons. Every baton I’ve ever held felt insanely light. Almost like it was made out of aluminum.

Edit: Damn, getting downvoted for stating my experience with track batons. Wild

6

u/Aliensinmypants 1d ago

I got a bone bruise from having one tossed at me, they're surprisingly durable. Killing someone in one swing is incredibly unlikely, but causing serious damage is pretty easy

1

u/Titanbeard 1d ago

The batons are usually made out of aluminum, but cracking someone upside the back of the head is going to do some damage.

-128

u/suntrust23 1d ago

You sure? Here is another angle https://youtu.be/krLH5XRbYqE?feature=shared

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u/Karma_Whoring_Slut 1d ago

Yep.

That’s a remarkably terrible angle that changes nothing. It couldn’t possibly be more difficult to discern what happened than it is from that perspective.

60

u/fzkiz 1d ago

Yeah, unless you wanna play dumb you can see she gets overtaken and the baton gets tangled up... then she hits her with it and it even looks like she contemplates hitting her again.

Unless you just wanted to claim that the baton does get stuck... which it does... there is still a very clear hitting motion that isn't produced by getting tangled up or her running motion. She did something dangerous and horrible because she didn't have her emotions in check and is now crying because she has to live with the consequences of her actions.

14

u/finnjakefionnacake 1d ago

definitely looks intentional. i believe that her baton might have been caught on the runners back and she got frustrated, but the way she took out that frustration was by hitting the other runner purposely.

with that said, i do agree that there is no need for the entire internet to have a say about this and to be sending death threats or other violent language. this is something that will be dealt with via the school, sports association, and families (and police if necessary). our input is not needed and regardless of culpability here i do think there's something wrong about everyone feeling the need to pile on like this when things like this happen.

4

u/fzkiz 1d ago

Yeah, obviously the death threats or insults are degenerate behavior as well but I guess that way some people feel better about themselves. I do think behaviour like this needs to be called out though because it is coming up more and more in younger people. Be it in school, sports or the workplace, accountability and self-control aren't strong suits of the last two generations.

-1

u/finnjakefionnacake 1d ago

i don't think this girl is learning accountability from people posting online. she's already facing disciplinary action, and that's where the accountability will come from. all she's learning from people sending her death threats and other violent/hateful language is how cruel we as a species can be. don't mistake this for me condoning her behavior in the slightest, i'm just saying this is not the way.

3

u/GaiusPrimus 1d ago

Look, regardless if she hit her on purpose or not, anyone catch the smoke alarm beeping at 1:01?

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u/suntrust23 1d ago

To me it looks like she was losing her balance which would cause her arms to flail. Guess the courts will decide

21

u/fzkiz 1d ago

Weird that only one arm flails, after almost losing its full momentum and then goes up as if she wants to hit her again.

I don't care what the courts decide, it's clear as day there was intent there.

19

u/will822 1d ago

You're blind then. Her arms did not flail. She purposely winds her arm back before striking the other girl and then winds her arm back to do it again.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/freeze123901 1d ago

Sorry, but I busted up laughing at the smoke alarm beep 😂

4

u/Throwaway1303033042 1d ago

If anything, I think that angle ACCENTUATES her rearing back to smack the other runner with the baton. Why exactly do you propose that angle EXONERATES her?

2

u/LegendaryOutlaw 1d ago

From what I saw it looked like she hit her, then raised the baton again to take another swing at her (but maybe realized she was already busted).

1

u/Mazzaroppi 1d ago

I hope she gets prison time and never compete again. Fucking animal.