'Shocked' US Heptathlete Chari Hawkins Seen Hysterically Crying After Massive Error Puts Her At Bottom Of Olympics Standings
Team USA star Chari Hawkins broke down in tears at the Paris Games 2024 after a massive mistake in the heptathlon dimmed her gold medal hopes.
Hawkins was captured in photos and videos hysterically crying at Stade de France Thursday after she received zero points in the high jump -- the second of the seven women's heptathlon events.
The 33-year-old heptathlete, who is competing in her first Olympics, failed to complete all three of her three attempts at the high jump, the New York Post reported.
The zero score left the 2022 USATF Indoor Championship Women's Pentathlon winner in last place in the women's heptathlon standings.
American heptathlete Chari Hawkins breaks down after costly mistake https://t.co/oI1gQttRHT pic.twitter.com/zcbCSnuOKD
— New York Post (@nypost) August 8, 2024
Hawkins chose to start the event at 1.71 meters in the hope of receiving a higher starting score, but she did not clear the first two attempts.
The former Utah State All-American declined to lower the height for the third try and attempted to clear 1.71 meters once more -- to no avail.
Hawkins ultimately "no-heighted," or scored zero, in her second heptathlon event.
The bar in the heptathlon high jump event begins at a height of 1.56 meters.
After a participant clears it, the bar is raised by 3 centimeters.
This means Hawkins could have potentially received a score, albeit lower than she would have preferred, had she started with and cleared the lower heights.
Following the event, a devastated Hawkins could be seen crying and visibly shaking as she looked at the scoreboard.
"Oh my gosh. I don't even know what to do. I'm like literally so shocked right now. No, no, no, no!" Hawkins could be heard saying in a now-deleted video shared on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday.
One of the most devastating Olympic videos you’ll see:
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 8, 2024
Chari Hawkins, 33 year old Heptathlete in her first (& likely last) Games, no heighted in her 2nd of 7 events. This effectively ended her competition.
A tear falls from her face as she processeshttps://t.co/rl2pJ0YmnJ
Following the high jump, Hawkins finished 11th in the shot put event.
Earlier Thursday, she also competed in the first heptathlon event, the 110-meter hurdles, where she finished fifth and scored 1,100 points.
Hawkins will next compete in the long jump and javelin throw events of the heptathlon.
Hawkins finished second in the heptathlon Olympic Trials in Oregon, allowing her to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Hawkins set her personal best at any heptathlon event earlier this year when she scored 6456 points, according to the Daily Mail.
Last month, Hawkins opened up to E! News about her struggles with anxiety and panic attacks.
Recalling her experience competing in the pentathlon at the 2019 USA Indoor Nationals, the athlete shared, "I was just having a really hard time."
"I couldn't take a full breath," Hawkins said. "And I remember going to the bathroom and crying my eyes out. Praying, 'Please, please, please, I just want to get this feeling taken from me and I'll do my best.' But I couldn't. I was so miserable and so scared."
Hawkins also explained how she now deals with anxiety, which she called her "Green Goblin."
"With my panic attacks and with the Green Goblin, what I've learned is that it's okay to be scared, and it's okay to feel like you can't do it as long as you are also willing to hold space for the potential that you can do it," said the Team USA star.
