French Pole Vaulter Who Went Viral Jokes About the 'Buzz for' His 'Package'

Mar. 15, 2025

Anthony Ammirati.Photo:Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Anthony Ammirati knows you’re talking about him — he just wishes it was for a different reason.

The French pole vaulter went viral on Aug. 3 after avideo of one of his pole vault attemptsfrom theParis Olympicsmade it appear like he knocked down the crossbar with his “bulge.”

Ammirati, 21, was a good sport about the situation and even got in on the fun, posting a TikTok about it on Aug. 5.

In the video, Ammirati looks off into the distance with a somewhat stunned look in his eyes as he chows down on pizza in the Olympic Village dining hall.

Over the video, the first-time Olympian wrote in French, “POV: tu fais plus de buzz pour ton paquet que pour tes perfs,” which roughly translates to, “POV: You create more buzz for your package than your performances.”

He continued to joke in the caption, which translates to, “I don’t really know if I should take it well or not 😂.”

Ammirati did not ultimately qualify for the pole vault final, as each athlete gets three attempts to make increasingly higher jumps, starting at 5.40 meters, during qualifiers. Ammirati made the first two heights — at 5.40 and 5.60 — but in his tries at making the next height, 5.70 meters, he was unsuccessful. Nine other men hit the mark and qualified for the final.

In a Google translated statement to theFrench Athlete’s Federation, Ammirati said failing to make it to the final was “a big disappointment.”

“It’s the first time I’ve started a competition without any stress,” said Ammirati. “As I was a total outsider, I only had one goal: to play with the public. I was almost there.”

Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis was ultimately the victor in the men’s pole vault, andset a world recordin the process.

source: people.com