Did Team GB cyclist Philip Hindes crash on purpose on Thursday?
Spectators had their hearts in their mouths as they watched German-born Hindes’ bike wobble and crash during the team sprint final at the velodrome.
Speaking to journalists after the race, he certainly appeared to suggest the fall was planned, telling the BBC:
“We were saying if we have a bad start we need to crash to get a restart. I just crashed, I did it on purpose to get a restart, just to have the fastest ride. I did it. So it was all planned, really.”
Philip Hindes after crashing at the start of the team sprint qualifying on the first day of the track cycling at the Velodrome
Hindes was asked if he was "trying to pull a fast one there", to which he replied “yes, I was trying to get a fast start and get everything perfect."
But British Cycling has suggested the comments were “lost in translation” as Hindes had only started speaking English in 2010, and the cyclist himself back-pedalled on the claim, telling a press conference after the event he lost control of the bike.
“My back wheel slipped and totally lost control and the I couldn’t handle the bike anymore and just crashed.”
The controversy will not affect the two gold medals Britain won at the velodrome on Thursday evening, or the record they broke after the race was restarted.
The French team came second to GB – but boss Isabelle Gautheron told news agency AFP she suspected Hindes crashed to get a restart.
"There is nothing in the rules to sanction such an action. But now he's come out and said it, I hope the authorities consider making a change to the rules. We're still bitter to have lost the final,” she said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday morning, The Guardian's cycling correspondent William Fotheringham said he did not think it would affect team GB's win. "The rules state that if you crash in the first half-lap you get a re-start," he said.
"There is no rule saying you can't fall off and it's very hard to say if it's deliberate or not."
Olympic injuries