SportLondon 2012Videoteam gb

London 2012 Olympics: Did Team GB's Philip Hindes Crash On Purpose?

Did Team GB's Philip Hindes Crash On Purpose?
Open Image Modal
By 

Dina Rickman is an assistant editor at The Huffington Post UK

|

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.”

Open Image Modal

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

Injured Olympians
(01 of27)
Open Image Modal
Heidi Loke of Norway lies injured after scoring in the first half during the Women's Handball preliminaries Group B - Match 6 between Norway and France on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Copper Box on July 28, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
(02 of27)
Open Image Modal
Spain's Pol Amat, second from left, grimaces as medics escort him from the pitch after being injured during a men's hockey preliminary match against Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in London. Australia won 5-0. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
(03 of27)
Open Image Modal
Netherlands' verwiljen aginst schwantesduring men's individual epee fencing at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
(04 of27)
Open Image Modal
Great Britain's Alex Danson is injured against South Korea in the Preliminary Round Group A Hockey match at the Riverbank Arena in the Olympic Park on the fourth day of the London 2012 Olympics.
(05 of27)
Open Image Modal
Japanese gymnast Kazuhito Tanaka, right, and Kazuhito Tanaka, left, help injured teammate Koji Yamamuro help him walk after the medal ceremony during the Artistic Gymnastic men's team final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. Japan won the silver medal. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
(06 of27)
Open Image Modal
Britain's captain Kate Walsh, left, walks off of the field after being injured during the women's hockey preliminary round match against Japan at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 29, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
(07 of27)
Open Image Modal
German gymnast Plilipp Boy put his leg up tp protects his injured right ankle when falling of the bar during the Artistic Gymnastics men's qualification at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
(08 of27)
Open Image Modal
A medic treats German gymnast Plilipp Boy after he injured his right ankle during a performance on the vault at the Artistic Gymnastics men's qualification at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
(09 of27)
Open Image Modal
New Zealand's Samantha Harrison, left, is assisted by an team official after being injured during their field hockey practice match with Belgium in Riverbank Arena at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 26, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
(10 of27)
Open Image Modal
Senegal's Idrissa Gueye sits injured on the pitch during his team's group A men's soccer match against Great Britain at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
(11 of27)
Open Image Modal
Japan's Aya Sameshima checks on South Africa's captain Amanda Dlamini after she picks up an injury
(12 of27)
Open Image Modal
Great Britain's Husayn Rosowsky sits dejected before receiving treatment for an injury during his Fencing Men's Individual Foil, Round of 64 match against Tunisia's Mohamed Samandi at the ExCel Arena, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday July 31, 2012. See PA story OLYMPICS . Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire. EDITORIAL USE ONLY
(13 of27)
Open Image Modal
Husayn Rosowsky of Great Britian goes down with an injury during his men's individual foil fencing match against Mohamed Samandi of Tunisia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London.(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
(14 of27)
Open Image Modal
Japanese gymnast Koji Yamamuro is carried off after injury during the Artistic Gymnastic men's team final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
(15 of27)
Open Image Modal
United States' Abby Wambach lays on the field after suffering from an injury at the hands of Colombia's Lady Andrade during the group G women's soccer match between the United States and Colombia at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. (AP Photo/Chris Clark)
(16 of27)
Open Image Modal
Germany's Carolin Golubytskyi goes down with an injury against Italy's Elis Di Francisca in their round of 16 women's fencing match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
(17 of27)
Open Image Modal
Therese Islas Helgesson of Sweden covers her face lying on a stretcher after suffering an injury during women's handball preliminary match against Denmark at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
(18 of27)
Open Image Modal
South Korea's Kim On-a reacts after suffering an injury during a women's handball preliminary match against Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
(19 of27)
Open Image Modal
Kim On A of Korea screams in pain as she is carried on a stretcher after suffering an injury during her team's women's handball preliminary match against Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
(20 of27)
Open Image Modal
Tarryn Bright of South Africa pulls up injured after a challenge by Charlotte Harrison of New Zealand during the Women's Hockey Match between South Africa and New Zealand on day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Riverbank Arena on July 31, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
(21 of27)
Open Image Modal
Rika Komazawa of Japan leaves the pitch injured during the Women's Hockey Match between the Netherlands and Japan on day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Riverbank Arena on July 31, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
(22 of27)
Open Image Modal
Mihnea Chioveanu of Romania looks on in the Men's Water Polo Preliminary Round Group B match between Great Britain and Romania on Day 2 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Water Polo Arena on July 29, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
(23 of27)
Open Image Modal
Majda Mehmedovic of Montenegro bends over injured in the Women's Handball preliminaries Group A - Match 5 between Montenegro and Great Britain on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Copper Box on July 28, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
(24 of27)
Open Image Modal
Petra Cetkovska of Czech Republic receives treatment for an injury during the Women's Singles Tennis match against Angelique Kerber of Germany on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon on July 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
(25 of27)
Open Image Modal
Japan's Sayaka Sato grimaces as she is helped out of the playing arena after she injured herself while playing against Denmark's Tine Baun, background, at a women's singles badminton match of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
(26 of27)
Open Image Modal
Sa Jae-hyouk of South Korea reacts after getting injured on a lift during the men's 77-kg weightlifting competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in London.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
(27 of27)
Open Image Modal
US judoka Travis Stevens gets injured during the fight against Germany's judoka Ole Bischof during semifinal in ExCeL Arena at the London 2012 Olympic Games, London, Great Britain, 31 July 2012. Photo: Friso Gentsch
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip