A cyclist was wheeled off the track by paramedics for the second consecutive day after a crash in Wednesday’s keirin final that knocked two athletes out of the race.
Malaysia’s Josiah Ng appeared to bump into China’s Zhang Lei, who tumbled onto the track. Iran’s Mohammad Parash was unable to stop and ran over Zhang, then toppled over his handlebars. Parash was taken away on a stretcher wearing a neck brace, while Zhang escaped without serious injuries.
Malaysia’s Azizulhasni Awang finished first, while Ng crossed in second place. China’s Zhang Miao was third.
“Crashes happen often. It’s the nature of the competition,” Ng said. “I almost fell too but I was lucky to avoid it.”
The event came one day after a multiple-rider crash in the women’s points race that sent Hong Kong cyclist Wong Wan Yiu to the hospital with arm and rib injures, after she’d finished in second place. Five of the 17 cyclists did not finish, including Diao Xiao Juan of Hong Kong who dislocated her shoulder.
Earlier Wednesday, Zhang finished first in the men’s sprint final, breaking Japan’s streak of six golds in the event at the Asian Games. Tsubasa Kitatsuru, the top finisher in Doha, had to settle for silver.
China’s Guo Shuang claimed her third Asian Games gold, beating teammate Lin Junhong in the women’s sprint.
Vladimir Tuychiev of Uzbekistan was first in the men’s points race, winning his country’s first gold in track cycling. Emotions ran high during the race after a collision between Uzbekistan’s Vadim Shaekhov and South Korea’s Cho Ho-sung.
“Cho pulled the bikes apart and shoved mine out of the way, which made me really angry, so I tried to give Cho a kick,” Shaekhov said.
