Women’s triathlon cycling Paris Olympics There were a number of cycling accidents on Wednesday as athletes slipped on the wet cobblestones.
The weather at the event was characterised by heavy rain, heat and humidity, which led to several riders losing control of their bikes on the various curves of Paris’ cobbled roads, causing them to crash and fall to the ground.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Guam’s Manami Iijima was the first to fall, followed shortly by Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes, Germany’s Lisa Terczi and Belgium’s Jorien Vermeilen.
Guam athlete Manami Iijima was involved in an accident while cycling in the women’s individual triathlon at the Paris Olympics held in central Paris on July 31st. (Ben Stansall/AFP)
“I have no words for the last two hours we went through,” Australian triathlete Sophie Lin told reporters. Sydney Morning Herald“It was every type of bad weather you could imagine – strong currents, rain, heat, humidity and crowds – it had it all.”
The series of falls caused some athletes to withdraw from the competition, including Lotte Miller of Norway, who fell off her bike twice and then withdrew from the event.
For those who competed until the end, the constant crashes had an inevitable effect on the final result.
Meet the 2024 U.S. Olympic Medalists: Photos
Germany’s Laura Lindemann was in the lead pack of 10 when she fell off her bike with three laps to go and was never able to regain her pace after the crash.
Colombian athlete Maria Carolina Velazquez Soto falls during the cycling event of the women’s individual triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in central Paris on July 31, 2024. (Ben Stansall/AFP)
Beth Potter and Georgia Taylor Brown of Great Britain were the lucky ones to avoid falls and race in the lead pack, with Potter ultimately winning the bronze medal, France’s Cassandre Beaugrand taking the gold and Switzerland’s Julie Delong taking the silver.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Before the event, the biggest concern about the safety of the triathlon was whether the Seine would be clean enough to swim in. The event was postponed by a day due to concerns about water pollution. Paris spent $1.4 billion to clean up the river in preparation for the event, but heavy rains have had a major impact on pollution levels.
“It was like a really weird video game I played,” Lynn added. “I think I got a lot dirtier on the bike.” [than in the water]To be honest, it was difficult with the water coming up from the road. I tried to stay at the front of the pack to avoid crashes.”
Follow Fox News Digital X’s sports coverage,subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
