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'Absolutely terrifying': Viewers in shock after velodrome 'carnage'

Riley Morgan
·Sports Reporter
·4-min read
British rider Laura Kenny (pictured left) with a cut after a crash (pictured middle) during the scratch event at the Olympics and (pictured right) an official stretched off injured.
British rider Laura Kenny (pictured left) was involved in an ugly crash (pictured middle) during the scratch event at the Olympics, which saw an official stretchered off (pictured right). (Getty Images)

The final day of the Olympics at the velodrome witnessed some ugly scenes as nine riders and an offical went down in a chaotic pileup at the end of a race.

A trackside official was stretchered off Izu Velodrome after he was knocked over by one of the riders in the pileup, which involved two different crashes in the space of a few seconds.

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Bikes went flying as riders protected themselves as a group fell with two laps to go in the scratch race.

As riders went around, another group fell and caused further chaos.

Images captured bikes flying in the air as British cyclist Laura Kenny - who won gold in the Madison event - walked off with a cut to her face.

Viewers were left stunned after the carnage in the velodrome on the final day of the Olympics.

British cyclist Jason Kenny wins gold

Australian Annette Edmondson was well-placed initially in the omnium, but the pileup took out Kenny.

But after Edmondson finished third in the opening scratch race, she lost a lap in the tempo event.

Edmondson then had a disastrous elimination race when she was the second rider to be caught at the rear of the field.

Ireland's Emily Kay is assisted by team members after crashing in the women's track cycling omnium scratch race during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Izu Velodrome in Izu, Japan, on August 8, 2021.
Ireland's Emily Kay is assisted by team members after crashing in the women's track cycling omnium scratch race during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Izu Velodrome in Izu, Japan, on August 8, 2021. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP) (PETER PARKS via Getty Images)

Male British cyclist Jason Kenny won a record seventh Olympic track cycling gold medal with an astonishing ride in the men's keirin final.

The four-time Olympian achieved the feat two days after his wife Laura became the first woman to win five gold medals in the sport.

As the derny pulled off with three laps left in Sunday's final at Izu Velodrome, Kenny was the lead rider and Australian Matthew Glaetzer was second in the six-rider paceline.

But as Glaetzer kept watch for attacks behind him and no-one came through, the gap to Kenny grew too large and the British ace pounced.

Belgian cyclist Lotte Kopecky falls during the scratch race, first part of the women's Omnium track cycling event on day 17 of the 'Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games' in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday 08 August 2021.
Belgian cyclist Lotte Kopecky falls during the scratch race, first part of the women's Omnium track cycling event on day 17 of the 'Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games' in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday 08 August 2021. (Photo by JASPER JACOBS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images) (JASPER JACOBS via Getty Images)

He launched a blistering long-range attack and finished well clear, with Australian-coached Malaysian Aziz Awang outsprinting Dutch rider Harrie Lavreysen for silver.

Glaetzer finished fifth and remains without a medal after three Olympics.

It was a gutsy effort from Glaetzer, who pulled out of the sprint because he was unwell, following Australia's fourth in the team sprint.

Glaetzer said the team sprint "completely broke me".

He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in late 2019 and missed the world championships early in 2020 because of a calf muscle injury.

with AAP

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