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German Man Falls Off Balcony in 'Spit For Distance' Competition
A German "spit for distance" aficionado's attempt to go that extra foot has ended in tragedy. Trying too hard to gain extra momentum, he fell off an apartment balcony, sustaining life-threatening injuries.
Competitive sport can often be dangerous, and athletes striving for their best performance can run the risk of serious injury. The danger is even greater when extreme sports and heights are involved.
Now one German man's striving for his best performance has ended in tragedy. The 43-year-old, who has not been named, was critically injured when he fell off a balcony during a "spit for distance" competition.
According to a police statement Thursday, the man had been competing with a 12-year-old boy in a spitting contest on Wednesday evening. The pair had been standing on the balcony of a second-floor apartment in the town of Forst in the east German state of Brandenburg, seeing how far they could spit.
In an attempt to reach an even better performance, the man had apparently tried too hard to gain extra momentum to propel his saliva further. He was carried over the railing and fell onto the balcony of the first floor apartment below, sustaining life-threatening injuries. A rescue helicopter was called in to whisk the man to a hospital in the nearby city of Cottbus.
The incident coincides with the publication of a new report showing that increasing numbers of men in the former East Germany are poorly educated, unemployed and frustrated.
Tragic Sports Injury: German Man Falls Off Balcony in 'Spit For Distance' Competition - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News