Hungarian strongman Janos Baranyai’s first Olympics ended in agony yesterday when he dislocated his right elbow in the ugliest moment yet of the Olympic weightlifting competition.

Baranyai was trying to snatch 148 kg (326.3 pounds) in his third lift in the men’s 77-kilogram division, when his elbow popped out of socket.

No longer able to support the weight of the barbell, his right forearm bent backward. The 24-year-old Hungarian fell to the floor in shock, shaking and crying out in pain.

Hungary’s coaching staff and competition officials rushed to Baranyai’s aid as he lay trembling on the floor, his arm limp and twisted out of position. Baranyai was carried off the platform on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, said Benny Johansson, a technical controller at the event.

It was not immediately clear how serious the injury was. “It looked really awful,” Johansson said. “If the ligaments are damaged then it could take several months to heal.”