Australian cyclists pay tribute to German rival and friend Kristina Vogel who concedes she will not walk again after training crash
AUSTRALIAN cyclists have paid tribute to reigning Olympic and world champion sprinter Kristina Vogel who concedes she will never walk again after being paralysed in a training crash.
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AUSTRALIAN cyclists have paid tribute to reigning Olympic and world champion sprinter Kristina Vogel who concedes she will never walk again after being paralysed in a training crash.
Germany’s Vogel - who shares the record with Anna Meares for the most world titles (11) won by an individual cyclist in history - severed her spinal cord when she collided with another rider while training in June.
After several operations Vogel spoke publicly for the first time since the accident on the weekend when she revealed the extent of her injuries.
“It’s shit, you cannot say otherwise. No matter how you pack it, I cannot walk anymore,” she said.
The 27-year-old can use her arms but is paralysed from the chest down.
“The line between feeling and numbness is a little bit, on the left side it is a bit lower than on the right side,” she said.
“But what should I do? I always think that the faster you accept a new situation, the better you can handle it.”
Australia’s leading female track sprinter Stephanie Morton lost to Vogel in the final of the world championships for the past two years.
She feared the result of Vogel’s accident was serious but said she was still shocked when the news came through on Saturday morning.
“I literally only woke up to the news this morning, I had an inkling it wouldn’t be good because we hadn’t heard anything and you hope for the best while respecting her privacy,” Morton said.
“But to get news like that is absolutely devastating. It’s not often I’m left speechless but this one has really taken me aback.”
Morton won on the podium with Vogel at this year’s world titles in Apeldoorn and last year in Hong Kong, and raced against her at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
“Before racing it’s game face on but we always have a laugh waiting for presentations and that’s what makes it even more devastating, to see something like this happen to someone so friendly.
“It will have a ripple affect on so many people, even for us in Australia it’s close to home after everything that happened to Anna (Meares in 2008), Kristina has a lot of hard work ahead with her teammates, coaches and family.
“This is the reality of what we do, at the end of the day it’s a dangerous sport so if there is anything good to come out of it it’s awareness to make the environment as safe as possible.”
Annette Edmondson posted a photo and message on Instagram yesterday wishing Vogel the best.
“Ever since you crushed me in the sprint at junior worlds, you have been my inspiration,” Edmondson wrote.
“You came back from a horrific crash a few years later, then went on to winning multiple senior world titles and the Olympic Games. I cannot wait to see what else life has in store for you, @kristina.vogel.
“This world has been blessed to have you and your craziness on this planet for 27 years, and we are so lucky to have you for many, many more. This is only the beginning.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as Australian cyclists pay tribute to German rival and friend Kristina Vogel who concedes she will not walk again after training crash
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