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Lights out for discus champ Harting at Rio Olympics

Germany's Robert Harting competes in the men's discus throw qualifying round at the Olympic Stadium in Rio on August 12, 2016

Defending discus champion Robert Harting on Friday bombed out at the Rio Olympics -- after straining his back while switching off a light with his foot. Harting, whose shirt-ripping victory poses and outspoken criticism of IOC president Thomas Bach over doping have made him one of the better known field athletes, sustained the lumbago on Wednesday night as he stretched on his bed to hit the lights. Come competition at the Olympic Stadium, Harting only managed a best of 62.21 metres, finishing ninth in the second group to miss out on the final by 47cm. "I was so looking forward to coming to the Olympics," said the three-time world champion. "I come here in a good mood and then I go and get a lumbago! "The fight-back from injury over the last year has been for nothing. It really hurts inside after all this comeback shit." Harting was distraught when explaining how the bizarre injury happened. "I wanted to switch off the light with my foot and I felt pain in my back. I thought 'oh dear' and by the next morning it was worse," he said. "The doctors and physiotherapists worked on it and I had some injections to ease the muscle, but to no avail."