'Oh my goodness': Aussie in hospital after horror Paralympics incident

Australian cycling great Carol Cooke is recovering in hospital after a frightening incident that wrecked her Paralympics dream in Tokyo.

Cooke, who turned 60 earlier this month, was hoping to repeat the gold medal she earned in Rio 2016.

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However, shocking weather conditions for the women's T1-2 road race dished up a nightmare scenario for competitors.

With torrential rain lashing the riders and creating treacherous, slippery conditions on the road, it was almost inevitable that drama would ensue.

Unfortunately for Cooke, the Aussie had nowhere to go when a competitor came unstuck in front of her.

Cooke careened into the back of her rival's bike and was sent crashing painfully to the ground.

"Oh my goodness, what has happened there," a Channel Seven commentator said during the broadcast of the race.

"Carol Cooke's been brought down, the rider in front of her had to take evasive action."

Canada's Marie-Eve Croteau crashed and the rider behind her, Germany's Jana Majunke, braked - with Cooke then going into the back of Majunke, and crashing badly herself.

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Majunke managed to pedal away but the other two riders lay almost motionless on the ground, with neither Cooke or Croteau able to complete the race.

Cooke, who claimed silver in the women's time trial on Tuesday, got back on her tricycle but was unable to finish.

"Well at least I got two firsts today - first ever race crash and the first time I have not finished a race," she said from her hospital bed.

Cooke has a collapsed left lung and doctors have inserted a chest drain.

"I feel better than I did an hour ago," she said.

She will undergo further tests to see if she has any rib fractures and it is unclear how long she will need to stay in hospital.

"I'm made of concrete. I spoke to my sister and she told me it's alright, I still have three years to come back and redeem myself (in Paris)," Cooke said.

The Victorian won the mixed time trial T1-2 in London 2012 and both the T1-2 time trial and the T1-2 road race in Rio 2016.

with AAP

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