Pidcock wins gold, 2 months after accident
Cyclist Tom Pidcock won Britain's third gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday, clinching victory in the men's mountain bike race less than two months after being hit by a car in training.
Pidcock broke his collarbone and was rushed to hospital after he was crashed into at speed in the French Pyrenees in May.
His coach Kurt Bogaerts said Pidcock had been "catapulted over the car", adding the rider was "lucky".
But the 21-year-old completed an impressive turnaround to win gold in Japan and become the youngest Olympic mountain bike champion in history.
He held off Switzerland's world No. 1 Mathias Flueckiger to win by 20 seconds. Spain's David Valero Serrano was third.
"It's been such a hard time coming here from crashing and breaking my collarbone and that's just unbelievable," said Pidcock.
His win came less than half an hour after British pair Tom Daley and Matty Lee won the 10m synchronised platform diving competition, while Adam Peaty retained his 100m breaststroke title earlier yesterday.
Race favourite Mathieu van der Poel crashed on the first of seven laps and retired with two laps remaining. - AFP
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