NEVER before has a member of the male species wished for a smaller manhood. Until now.

Japanese pole vaulter Hiroki Ogita will be ruing the size of his phallus after it caused him to foul during the qualifying rounds in the men’s event in Rio.

Ogita was attempting to clear a height of 5.3 metres in group A of the first round of the pole vault, when his leg came in contact with the bar. As he began to drop back down towards the ground, his shin grazed the bar, causing it to wobble dangerously.

But it was his penis that delivered the final blow. Already unsteady, the bar was dislodged from its holdings when Ogita’s old fellow decided to make an appearance and slap the metal. The vaulter’s arm then collected the bar as it began to fall.

Video footage showed the crushing moment the 28-year-old was let down by his trouser friend.

media_camera Where it all started to go wrong.

media_camera There is a real sense of foreboding at this point.

media_camera There’s Johnny.

media_camera Oh, the humanity.

media_camera An incredibly unfortunate end.

Unfortunately, the foul effectively cost Ogita a place in the final.

Despite clearing the height on his second attempt, the Japanese athlete was only able to make a height of 5.45 metres with his last jump, which left him in 21st place, ending his campaign in Rio.

What a way to end your Olympic dream: thwarted by the one thing no man ever wants to let him down.

If the death of Julius Caesar is the ultimate story of betrayal, this is a close second.

Originally published as Olympic dream crushed by his own penis