Liam Phillips, the British BMX rider who many fancied for the gold medal in Rio, has crashed out in dramatic fashion in the quarter-finals of the event.
Phillips started well and was leading the race in the early stages but after being forced wide on the first hairpin by David Graf, clipped shoulders with the Swiss rider and slammed off the side of the course.
Liam was down for a long time, and although he was later pictured on his feet limping away from the course, he didn’t start his second run meaning his Olympic campaign is effectively over. We’re absolutely gutted for him, and very much hoping his injuries are not too serious.
Liam Phillips Crash! pic.twitter.com/kPXCGVRAkt
— FuzzBead (@FuzzBead) August 18, 2016
A former World Champion, many thought Phillips stood an excellent chance of taking gold in the BMX stadium. But in the mass-start event, with eight riders ripping down the course at the same time, anything can happen and often winning is less a case of being the fastest and more of avoiding mishaps.
Liam certainly wasn’t the only rider to come to grief on a dramatic day of action. His fellow Team GB rider Kyle Evans crashed in the second of his two rides, meaning that despite a better showing in his first and third heats, he can’t progress to the semi-finals.
A few races after Phillips another enormous crash saw Joris Daudet, the 2015 European Champion and another contender take off a kicker sideways and slam hard into the knuckle, taking several other riders with him, including Holland’s Niek Kiemmen who’s front fork snapped on impact, sending his front wheel flying.
The Dutch rider completed the race on foot, limping heavily and carrying his battered frame in his hands.
