KUALA LUMPUR: Several Olympic cyclists were injured after colliding at a speed of 60km per hour at the Velodrome Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines yesterday.
In a dramatic final lap, Steffie van der Peet from the Netherlands, Nicky Degrendele of Belgium, and Yuan Liying from China crashed as the women's keirin quarterfinals reached their climax, The West Australian reported.
The incident began when Liying attempted to overtake van der Peet for the fourth and final qualifying spot, resulting in a collision that brought down Degrendele as well.
Belgium's Nicky Degrendele and China's Yuan Liying were thrown off their bikes following the high-speed collision, slipping down the track as bicycle debris flew around them.
Both cyclists required medical attention. Degrendele appeared to be in pain, while Liying seemed distressed as she was helped off the track.
The crash occurred when Liying's and Dutch star Steffie van der Peet's bikes made contact, shocking spectators.
Degrendele crashed when Liying's spinning body caught her bike. Fortunately, despite the horrific collision, all three riders were later confirmed to be unharmed.
Meanwhile, velodrome staff had to clean up the shattered bicycle debris, clear the track, and install tape before repairing it later that afternoon.