Who is Anthony Ammirati?
Anthony Ammirati was born on 16 July 2003. He is a French pole vaulter who excels in this sport. In 2022, he earned the top spot at the World Athletics U20 Championships, securing the gold medal.
In Salon-de-Provence in June 2021, he achieved a new national record for under-20s by jumping 5.72m. In the succeeding month, he claimed the gold medal at the U20 European championships in Tallinn with a leap of 5.64m.
He achieved the title of world champion during the U20 world championships in Cali by clearing 5.65m on his second try. Later, he surpassed his personal record by jumping 5.75m.
On August 31, 2022, he once again broke the French junior pole vault record, this time in Sankt-Wendel with a height of 5.81m. He now holds the second-best record in the category, behind only Armand Duplantis who achieved 6.05m in 2018.
The first time Ammirati picked up a pole, he had a very particular motive for doing so. According to Olympics.com, he said:
“I started pole vaulting at 12 because a girl in my club was doing it. I saw her jump and absolutely wanted to try it.”
According to Anthony Ammirati, his fascination with the “rush” of adrenaline led him to compete in the Olympics for the first time in Paris.
“You never get bored during training. Gymnastics, jumping, weightlifting, running. We don’t just focus on technical pole vault sessions. I enjoy this variety.”
Based on his Instagram bio, Anthony Ammirati also serves as a reserve officer for the French National Police. In an interview earlier this year, he said:
“I have always loved the police, I have many close friends who work in this sector. I like order to be respected and to help others.”
Despite having a lot of pole vaulting left to do, Ammirati is also considering his future plans. While speaking with the French National Police, he stated:
“A lot of my colleagues in the operational reserve are taking the police exams which also makes me think about what’s next!”
He added,
“The BAC (anti-crime brigade) is a unit that particularly inspires me.”
Why did Anthony Ammirati go viral?
Although Anthony Ammirati successfully made it to the 2024 Summer Olympics, he did not progress to the finals. As a result, a video of one of his tries, in which he unintentionally hit the crossbar with his penis, became widely popular.
Afterward, he received a $250,000 offer from CamSoda, a pornographic website, to produce a live webcam performance. Variety recognized Ammirati as one of the top-trending athletes of the 2024 Summer Olympics, along with Yusuf Dikeç and Stephen Nedoroscik.
After remaining silent for some time, Anthony Ammirati has opened up about the events leading to his disqualification from the pole vault event at the Paris Olympics. He expressed his disappointment and shared that despite being close to achieving success, he was unable to clear the final hurdle.
