Long-jumper loses thanks to her ponytail

Long hair and competitive sports do not mix. Ask Andre Agassi, who claims the insecure attachment of a lion mane-style wig distracted him during the final at the French Open in 1990, costing him the title.

And, as Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova could tell you, long hair is particularly poorly suited to long jump. The Belarusian missed out on the gold medal at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, on Sunday when her wayward ponytail touched the sand behind the landing point of her body. Mironchyk-Ivanova's ponytail left a small indentation in the sand, and it was from this point that the judges measured the length of her jump. Mironchyk-Ivanova’s jump was measured at 6.74m, putting her in fourth place. Had it not been for her hair, the jump would have measured at 6.90m, earning her first place and a $60 000 prize. Instead, American Brittney Reese, who sports a compact bob style, took the gold with a jump of 6.82m.