2016 Rio Paralympics: Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad dies after crashing in C4/C5 road race

PARALYMPICS chiefs have denied Rio 2016’s service cuts following its Olympics budget blowout might have contributed to the death of an Iranian cyclist.

Bahman Golbarnezhad died as a result at the crash during the road race.

PARALYMPICS chiefs have refuted suggestion Rio 2016’s service cuts following its Olympic Games budget blowout might have contributed to the death of an Iranian cyclist killed following a road-race crash.

And cycling’s governing body has defended selection of a route for riders with physical impairments that shared sections of an Olympic course criticised by elite professional riders for its danger and difficulty.

Tragedy struck the Games on the eve of their closing ceremony, when Iran’s Bahman Golbarnezhad died after hitting a curb and crashing on a sweeping curve on a descent midway through the men’s C4-5 road race.

The 48-year-old went into cardiac arrest multiple times on the way to hospital and could not be revived. Emergency medics on the scene reported “grave head trauma” and significant damage to his helmet.

Golbarnezhad’s death is the first in-competition fatality at a Paralympic Games in the event’s 56-year history.

The Iranian team has made two firm requests in the aftermath: To have the cyclist’s body returned to Iran immediately, and a thorough investigation to the accident be launched by the International Paralympic Committee.

An inquiry is underway, and IPC officials were unable to confirm whether Bolbarnezhad’s crash was rider-error or whether other competitors were involved.

IPC president Sir Philip Craven denied service cutbacks forced by financial strains for the Paralympics might have impeded proper emergency care.

“There were no cuts that affected this,” Craven said.

“The reasoning has been given – the ambulance that attended, attended within two minutes. It was the latest ambulance that had all intensive-care equipment.

“There was a doctor, and a paramedic and a nurse (staffing the ambulance), so everything was in order and everything was done to try and save Bahman’s life.”

Sports director of the cycling’s ruling body the UCI, Piers Jones, said there was no evidence of debris or foreign objects on the stretch of road leading to the crash site.

Bahman Golbarnezhad died as a result at the crash during the road race.

He said while the accident happened on a descent, it was not the fastest part of the course.

“The road was in the condition it should have been,” Jones said.

The Paralympics race included the mountainous Grumari circuit used in the Rio Olympics road races. But the treacherous descent on which Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten crashed and suffered concussion was not part of the Paralympic course.

The Iranian flag has been lowered to half-mast in the Paralympic village.

The Paralympic flag was also flown at half-mast in the Paralympic village and at the Riocentro venue where Iran was scheduled to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the sitting volleyball gold medal match.

A moment of silence will be staged during Monday morning’s (EST) closing ceremony.

This was Golbarnezhad’s second Paralympic Games appearance, following London 2012.

The road race was his second event of the Rio Games. He placed 14th in the time-trial earlier this week.

Masoud Ashrafi, secretary general of Iran’s National Paralympic Committee, said Golbarnezhad had a wife and a son, who remained in Iran.

“He has been cycling for 12 years and he is our best cyclist,” Ashrafi said.

“He was a family man, he loved his family and loved his son. They are having a very difficult situation at the moment.

“All I can hope for is that his body gets to his family. This would be something to make them feel better.”

It was hoped the investigation would be finished within a week.

In the same race, Aussie rider Alistair Donohue had a dramatic collision with Ukraine’s Yahor Dementyev as the leaders sprinted towards the finish line. After crashing with less than 100m to go, Donohue got up and ran across the line first, although he did so without his bike as Dementyev lay on the road.

But that initial crossing did not count and he eventually finished fifth.

The Ukrainian rider was disqualified for causing the fall.

Originally published as 2016 Rio Paralympics: Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad dies after crashing in C4/C5 road race