Nasty crash Mars scratch race

LONDON • English cyclist Matt Walls was yesterday involved in a horror crash at the Commonwealth Games when he was catapulted over the barriers and into the crowds at the Lee Valley VeloPark.

The Olympic omnium champion and silver medallist in the madison at last year's Tokyo Games had been competing in the men's scratch qualifiers at the London venue.

He received treatment for more than 40 minutes before being taken away by ambulance.

Spectators were also hurt after he and his bike came over the top of the barriers on the high banking of a corner.

The 24-year-old was trying to avoid riders who had fallen in a crash lower down the banking but as he rode up, he clipped another wheel and went over the top.

Witnesses said that, because of the gradient of the banking, spectators in the front row did not see the crash.

According to British media reports, a member of the crowd was taken away in a wheelchair covered in blood, while a young girl also received medical attention for a cut to her arm.

A total of eight riders went down on the last lap of the race. Canadian Mathias Guillemette was disqualified for causing the initial crash.

The remainder of the morning session at the velodrome in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was cancelled and spectators were asked to leave as medical staff attended to Walls. The scratch final was to be held later in the day.

British Cycling tweeted: "Following a crash in the men's scratch, Matt Walls & (the Isle of Man's) Matt Bostock are being treated by medics before being taken to hospital for further treatment." A Birmingham 2022 spokesman said three cyclists were hospitalised.

A later statement from England's Commonwealth Games team said Walls was okay, adding he "is alert and talking... and is being given medical attention".

It was the second major cycling crash in as many days after Joe Truman was knocked unconscious and suffered a suspected broken collarbone after a 70kmh crash in the keirin event.

Most of the events at the Commonwealth Games are being held in Birmingham but track cycling is taking place in London.

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy told The Guardian the lack of protection for spectators was troubling, adding: "This one is the direct result of not having a barrier at the top of the fencing... Something has to be done before something serious happens."

In the men's individual all-around gymnastics final, Jake Jarman beat fellow Englishman James Hall after garnering 83.450 points, 0.550 ahead of his nearest rival, while Cyprus' Marios Georgiou came in third.

This was Jarman's second gold medal of the Games, having been part of the team that won the men's all-round title on Friday.

"I think I got a little emotional," he said. "It's quite overwhelming and I couldn't ask for a better competition."

In the women's individual all-around final, Australia's Georgia Godwin claimed the gold, ahead of England's Ondine Achampong with Emma Spence of Canada coming third.

Singapore's two representatives in the final, Nadine Joy Nathan and Emma Yap, scored 47.900 and 46.250 points for 11th and 15th places respectively.

Like Jarman, Alex Yee got his second gold of the Games after the men's triathlon winner got England's mixed relay team off to a stirring start. Sophie Coldwell, Sam Dickinson and Georgia Taylor-Brown maintained their lead to the finishing line, with Wales in second and Australia taking the bronze.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS