Lion bite, puck to the head and cut by a fish tank – strangest sporting injuries

Cyclist Biniam Girmay has pulled out of the Giro d’Italia after injuring his eye when being struck by the cork from a Prosecco bottle while celebrating his historic stage win on the podium.

Here, the PA news agency looks at 10 other occasions when athletes suffered unusual injuries.

Ben Foakes

Ben Foakes has been ruled out of the Test series against New Zealand with a torn hamstring.

He slipped in the dressing room after Surrey’s draw with Middlesex. @sambillings & @HaseebHameed97 have been added to the squad. #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/yYnumT8ykj

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) May 26, 2021

England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was ruled out of a Test series against New Zealand in 2021 when he tore his hamstring after slipping on a sock while in the dressing room following Surrey’s County Championship match against Middlesex at the Oval.

Lee Burge

??? …. but please do come again @LeeBurge01 and we’ll put you up in the VIP SkyLounge where no pucks can come flying at you!! https://t.co/x9gxFqFyY8

— Coventry Blaze ?? (@covblazehockey) October 1, 2018

Coventry goalkeeper Burge trained with a bandage on his head after he was struck by a puck while watching ice hockey in 2018. The then 25-year-old reportedly needed hospital treatment after being hit while he watched the Coventry Blaze’s Elite League clash with the Sheffield Steelers.

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer needed surgery for a cut on his hand after he dropped a fish tank whilst cleaning at home prior to travelling to England’s tour of India. The paceman was able to manage the injury on the sub-continent but the 25-year-old required an operation to remove a small fragment of glass from his hand.

Scott Baldwin

WARNINGPatting a lion on the head is a bad idea

Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin did it – and his coach wasn’t happy pic.twitter.com/DTmdAusdAi

— PA Sport (@pasport) September 29, 2017

Wales hooker Baldwin sat out the Ospreys’ PRO14 defeat against the Cheetahs in 2017 because of a lion bite. The then 29-year-old was absent from the 44-25 loss after he was injured while attempting to stroke the caged animal at a game lodge in Bloemfontein. He later said he had needed four operations and was told he could have lost his hand.

Jamie Donaldson

So folks in my time off decided to have a fight with a chainsaw and lost! Oops!! C u in Dubai? pic.twitter.com/uyVFfnsULL

— Jamie Donaldson (@DonaldsonJamie) January 18, 2016

Ryder Cup star Donaldson suffered a severe finger injury following a mishap with a chainsaw in January 2016. The Welshman posted a graphic photo on Twitter of what seemed to be a laceration to the little finger on his left hand. Above the image, he wrote: “So folks in my time off decided to have a fight with a chainsaw and lost! Oops!!”