London 2012 pole vault: Fabiana Murer blames wind for loss

(Franck Fife/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

From a bad night’s sleep to a fan tossing a bottle, there are many things that can throw an Olympic athlete off their game

For Brazilian pole vaulter Fabiana Murer — the defending world champ — it was the wind.

Murer bailed on the jump that could have sent her into the final, saying she thought it was too windy to be safe.

She started running for her last jump, after failing to clear the 4.55 metre mark in her first two attempts, but stopped a few seconds later.

“I gave up because with that wind I wasn't going to be able to jump,” Murer said. “It would be dangerous if I had jumped. I came back to try again, but the wind was still too strong. I could get hurt if I had jumped.”

Officials had stopped an earlier jump attempt due to the strong winds at the Olympic Stadium, but had cleared the final attempt.

Brazilian fans, media and fellow athletes have since criticized her for not attempting the last jump, arguing the wind was likely the same for all the athletes.

Murer finished 14th overall.

Murer also faced difficulties in Beijing, where organizers misplaced her pole. Using the pole for her next mark disrupted her entire routine, she said. Murer received a letter of apology from organizers, but officials said that it was ultimately Murer’s responsibility to check her equipment before competition.

With files from the Associated Press