Team GB star Kye Whyte is taken to hospital after suffering 35mph horror crash in Olympic BMX racing semi-finals in Paris

  • 2 months ago
Kye Whyte has crashed out of the BMX Racing semi-final run two and has been stretched off the course by medics.

Whyte made Olympic history in 2021 by securing Team GB's first-ever medal in the sport and was looking to further his collection at this summer's tournament.

However, Whyte had been struggling with a back injury which he said was aggravated last night after the three quarter-final runs - according to The BBC.

The 24-year-old lost control of his bike after the first jump and swerved off the course into before crashing out.

Paramedics attended to Whyte while he was on the floor and could be seen placing an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

Shortly after he was lifted onto a stretcher and carried from the course but appeared to be awake and speaking to the surrounding staff.

Whyte did not take part in the third heat as a result of his crash and will not advance to the final of the competition in Paris.

Team GB released a statement on Whyte's condition shortly after the crash took place and said he would receive further assessment in hospital.

It read: 'Following his crash in tonight's BMX racing semi-final, Kye Whyte was assessed immediately by the on-site medical team.

'This was followed up by further immediate review by Great Britain Cycling Team doctor Nigel Jones.

'Initial reports are positive but he is being taken to hospital for further assessment.

'We wish Kye a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him on his bike very soon.'

In an interview with Mail Sport earlier this year, Whyte was reeling off the list of bones he has broken from racing his BMX bike.

'Two shoulders, two collarbones, a couple of fingers, my hand twice, my wrist twice, my elbow and toes,' said the Olympic silver medallist. 'Oh, and my jaw as well.'

That last injury he mentioned was the most serious of them all, following a horror crash in his first race on the British talent squad at the age of 13.

'I probably could have died,' admitted Whyte, sitting with Mail Sport in the kit room by the BMX track at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.

'Someone crashed in front of me and I tried to move out of the way in mid-air and I crashed and knocked myself out. I was racing in Crewe and when I woke up I was in Liverpool and my mum and dad were there, so I knew it must have been serious.

'I was in an induced coma for about five days. I had a bleed on the brain. Half the left side of my face was gone away. I missed a whole year of school. It took me about a year and a half before I started to ride again.'

Given everything he had described, it felt important to ask the question: why put yourself through it? 'I ask myself the same thing every morning,' laughs the 24-year-old. 'I'm not a dangerous person — I just like to ride a bike very fast.'

He has been doing so since the age of three, when he first joined his older brothers Daniel and Tre — who went on to become a world bronze medallist himself — on the track at Brockwell Park ne

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Transcript
00:00Kai White has crashed out of the BMX racing semi-final run 2 and has been stretched off
00:11the course by medics. However, White had been struggling with a back injury which he said
00:16was aggravated last night after the three-quarter final runs, according to the BBC. The 24-year-old
00:22lost control of his bike after the first jump and swerved off the course into before crashing
00:26out. Paramedics attended to White while he was on the floor and could be seen placing an oxygen
00:32mask over his nose and mouth. Shortly after he was lifted onto a stretcher and carried from the
00:37course but appeared to be awake and speaking to the surrounding staff. White did not take part in
00:42the third heat as a result of his crash and will not advance to the final of the competition in
00:47Paris. Team GB released a statement on White's condition shortly after the crash took place and
00:52said he would receive further assessment in hospital. It read, following his crash in
00:57tonight's BMX racing semi-final, Kai White was assessed immediately by the on-site medical team.
01:02This was followed up by further immediate review by Great Britain's cycling team Dr. Nigel Jones.
01:08Initial reports are positive but he is being taken to hospital for further assessment. We
01:15wish Kai a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him on his bike very soon.

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