Watch out Zippy! Photographer speared by javelin at meet!!!

[DarkFury]

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story...avelin-at-meet

Photographer speared by javelin at meet

Associated Press
May 19, 2008

A newspaper photographer got a little too close to the action at the state high school track championships — and was speared through the leg by a javelin.

Ryan McGeeney of the Standard-Examiner was spared serious injury Saturday, and even managed to snap a photo of his speared leg while others tended to him.

"If I didn't, it would probably be my editor's first question when I got back," McGeeney said.

The 33-year-old McGeeney, an ex-Marine who spent six months in Afghanistan, was taking pictures of the discus event and apparently wandered into off-limits area set aside for the javelin.

Striking just below the knee, the javelin tip went through the skin and emerged on the other side of his leg.

"It wasn't real painful. ... I was very lucky in that it didn't hit any blood vessels, nerves, ligaments or tendons," McGeeney said.

Much of the javelin was cut off at the scene. The piece in McGeeney's leg was removed at a hospital, and he received 13 stitches.

The javelin was thrown by Anthony Miles, a Provo High School student who said his "heart just stopped" when he saw what happened.

"One of the first things that came to my mind was, 'Good thing we brought a second javelin,"' Miles' coach, Richard Vance, said Monday. He said Miles was "in a little bit of shock," but he assured the athlete it was not his fault.

With a subsequent throw, Miles went on to win the state title in javelin for teams in Provo High's size classification, 4-A.

I guess the photography game is very dangerous! Watch yo back Zippy!

[The Happy Squirrel]

ah ah ah OWWWWWIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!!! myself having experience severe leg injuries mulitpule times in life this really makes me squirm

[Markel]

When I was at Nate's NJCAA nationals last week, I saw the official on the javelin range have to dodge a few spears. Definitely not a place to let yourself be distracted.

[Jeffbx]

Quote of the day:

"One of the first things that came to my mind was, 'Good thing we brought a second javelin,"' Miles' coach, Richard Vance, said Monday.

[zippyjuan]

Whatever you are doing, you need to be aware of what is going on around you. One reason I don't like to wear any sort of headphones while outside and dont' need a cell phone. I see oblivious people everywhere. In cars, on bicycles or skateboards or simply walking.

[ArkiStan]

Props to him for getting a photo of it. LOL.

[mojo]

that's gonna scar

[ShawnLee]

Neat! If it didn't damage anything, that's just cool!

[nate el bueno]

I've heard stories of things like this before, but oddly we were just talking about this same event yesterday. I feel bad for the guy and all, but throughout our last track season, there have been at least a dozen times when someone wandered onto the track or field where they shouldn't have been, and we have lost races because athletes have plowed into people. It would seem kind of logical that people should be off the track once the gun fires.