The 10 Worst Track and Field Fails of All Time (with Video)

Track and Field is one of the oldest sports in the world and is still appreciated today. Usain Bolt may have been the one man that helped revive the sport by putting on a show at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

We all love Usain Bolt and there is nothing bad that we can say about the man, so lets take a moment to appreciate those that fell short.

Sometimes literally, those that "fell" short! This is the Top 10 Biggest Fails in Track and Field.

10. Nick Frawley vs. the Pole Vault

Nick Frawley is a two time NCAA All-American.

He set records at the Air Force Academy for pole vault.

He dominates in his sport, but on this occasion, the pole vault got the best of him.

9. Usain Bolt Losers

Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world.

Going up against him would be like facing Cassius Clay in his prime and with brass knuckles, hoping to beat him in a fight.

There is a possibility that you can win, but 10 times out of 10, you won't.

These competitors are not necessarily fails, so they won't go any higher on the list.

They are here because they will fail most of the time against Usain Bolt.

8. Phidippides

The first marathon runner ran for 140 miles in 36 hours. That is an accomplishment. The reason he was sent was to inform Sparta of the need for back-up as they were fighting a war.

The fail comes in that when he arrives at Sparta, he delivers the news and collapses to his death upon arriving in Athens to give more news.

He had to run another 26 miles! After running the first 140, I believe anyone would take the next 26 easy!

Epic fail!

(Sorry. No video here. They didn't have Flips or iPhones back then.)

7. Michael Johnson Loses to Donovan Bailey

What was called the race for the title of world's fastest man ... was not.

This is the first of two times that Michael Johnson supposedly faked an injury as he saw that the odds were stacked against him.

Yes, it is possible for one of the world's fastest men to make a list of fails.

6. Team USA Leaves Carl Lewis Off the 1996 100m Relay Team

In 1996, the Unites States Men's 4x100m relay team decided to leave the legendary Carl Lewis off of the team. The team underestimated the power of Lewis. Even with gray hair, he could have made a difference at the Olympics.

He could have served as the anchor of the team even though he was 35 years of age.

Instead, Team Canada was able to defeat the United States in an area where we should have won.

This is probably what motivates the USA to defeat Canada in Hockey.

5. Harry-Aikines Aryteetey Falls in the Semifinals of the 60m Dash

This English sensation was named one of the Young Sports Personalities of the Year in 2005 and won medals at the World Youth Championships.

The sprinter has a promising future ahead for him, but at the Indoor World Championships, he slipped up a bit and was not able to finish the 60m dash.

The Sutton Speedster, nicknamed by his fans, failed.

4. Liu Xiang Pulls Out

Liu Xiang was starting to be called China's Michael Jordan.

He had the status of celebrity in his native country. He was the star of the Chinese track and field squad.

Xiang was starting to become world renowned because of his talent in the 100m hurdles.

But in the Summer of 2008, at the Olympics in his native country with thousands of people in the stands and millions more watching at home and around the globe ... he failed.

Xiang removed himself from a race due to the straining of an injury after a false start. He was China's biggest letdown. That's saying a lot for such a huge country.

3. Dan O'Brien: America's Biggest Disappointment of the '90s

Alex Rodriguez may be one of the highest paid athletes in the United States of America.

But in 1992, Reebok decided to hype up the Olympics and promote a one-on- one showdown between decathletes Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson.

There was $25 million spent on advertisements for the match. Want to know the part about the fail?

The Olympics were being held in Barcelona and Dave never qualified to make it. Dan finished a disappointing third place.

Watch the $25 million dollars go down the drain through these advertisements.

2. Friday the 13th Brings Bad Luck to Salim Sdiri

Salim Sdiri is a French long-jumper. What he was doing on the field in the middle of a javelin session, I do not know.

Friday the 13th in 2007 brought bad luck to Sdiri. He was struck by a javelin and was rushed to the hospital.

The injury was not life threatening, but Sdiri later found out that the javelin had touched his kidney and could have been worse.

He returned to long jumping in 2008. Next time, watch out for javelins when you are near a throwing session!

1. Kofi Prah of Germany

Kofi Prah was a silver medalist in the 1992 Indoor European Championships.

There has to be something about long jumpers and their bad luck. First Sdiri and now Prah on our list!

Prah was in the middle of the sprint for a jump, when all of a sudden another woman athlete, Gabriela Szabo, walked in his way.

Instant collision!

Both people went down. He was angry afterward! She might have enjoyed the landing!

To add insult to injury, he was found guilty of cocaine doping and was suspended in September of 2008.

Prah is eligible to come back this September. Hopefully, we can see a better collision.

Congrats, Kofi Prah. You are the biggest of Bleacher Report's Top 10 Biggest Fails in Track and Field.

Maybe that can serve as motivation for the comeback.