British cycling star Katy Marchant involved in horror high-speed crash at the London velodrome as she is taken to hospital with suspected broken arm
Olympic gold medallist Katy Marchant was taken to hospital with a suspected broken arm after crashing over the barrier and into the crowd in a horror collision at the London velodrome.
The British rider and Germany’s Alessa-Catriona Propster came together at speed during their keirin heat at Saturday night’s Track Champions League event at Lee Valley VeloPark.
It resulted in the pair flying off the track along with their bikes and catapulting into a group of shocked spectators.
The two riders and four fans were treated by medics on site. Propster walked away from the incident after 10 minutes, but Marchant remained on the floor for half-an-hour before she was carried out of the arena and taken to hospital.
British Cycling said in a statement: ‘Following a crash in this evening’s women’s keirin semi-final, Katy Marchant has been treated by on-site medical staff and will be taken to hospital for further assessment and any required treatment.’
Eurosport reporter Adam Blythe claimed Marchant had broken her forearm but luckily avoided any further serious injuries. Following the incident, the rest of the evening’s racing was abandoned.
British Cycling added: ‘WBD Sports, British Cycling, Lee Valley VeloPark, and the Union Cycliste Internationale unanimously decided to suspend all further racing for the evening and want to extend their best wishes for a speedy recovery to both riders and all affected spectators.
‘We are working closely with all parties to review the incident before taking appropriate action.’
Katy Marchant was taken to hospital with a suspected broken arm after the horror crash
Marchant won Sprint gold at Paris Olympics with Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell (right)
Marchant and Alessa-Catriona Propster (top) crash over the barrier at the London velodrome
Marchant, who has a two-year-old son, won gold for Team GB at Paris 2024 in the women’s team sprint, alongside Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell. The 31-year-old also claimed a bronze in the individual sprint at Rio 2016.
Her horror crash came at the same venue and on the same bend that her fellow British Olympic champion Matt Walls catapulted over the barriers and into the crowd at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Walls, who was involved in a near-40mph multi-rider collision during a scratch race, avoided serious injury, but one fan was forced to have surgery for a ‘machete-like’ serious arm injury.
The incident led to calls from Sir Chris Hoy and Dame Laura Kenny for improvements to velodrome safety.
Subsquently, the Lee Valley VeloPark installed a 1.4-metre perspex barrier around the track, costing £250,000, earlier this year.
Lee Valley said the barrier was a ‘UK first for an existing velodrome and is believed to be only the third of its kind in the world to be retrofitted’.
This weekend’s Track Champions League is only the second event at the venue since the taller fences were fitted.
The London venue installed a 1.4-metre barrier, costing £250,000, around the track this year.
Thirty-one-year-old Marchant, who won Team Sprint gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was competing in the second heat of the women’s keirin.
