Australian Olympic cyclist Lucas Plapp shares video of gruesome Paris Olympics injuries

Aussie cyclist Lucas Plapp says he was left screaming in agony on the road for almost 30 minutes before he was attended to by Olympics medical staff after his horror crash. WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE

Lucas Plapp says he was left screaming on the road in agony for almost 30-minutes before he was attended to by Paris Olympics medical staff.

The inconceivable revelation has emerged as the Australian road cyclist prepares for a lengthy recovery from a torn bowel and spleen, suffered after he crashed into a steel barricade in the 32km individual time trial last Saturday.

In his first interview since undergoing emergency surgery and needing five-days to recover in a Paris hospital, Plapp confirmed he was “lucky the injury wasn’t worse.’’

Plapp crashed in wet conditions soon after passing through the 13km checkpoint with the fourth fastest time.

He explained that medical attention failed to reach him until the last rider in the 34-man field had gone past him.

Australian cyclist Luke Plapp crashed out of the 2024 Paris Olympic time trial and sustained a serious abdominal injury.

“It was a fair bit after the last rider,’’ Plapp told News Corp.

“It was a pretty brutal half-an-hour or so of waiting.

“There were no medicos at all. It was just me and my directors.

“We were really lucky in the end that it wasn’t much worse.

“That was the thing they (doctors) said, it was a pretty rough injury, but it could’ve been a lot worse.

“We are lucky that I didn’t puncture anything else, it was just the spleen and the bowel that needed to get stitched up on the inside and there’s a nice big cookie cutter chunk on the outside.

Lucas Plapp competing at the Olympics. Picture: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

“If the injury was worse for me or anyone else, you’d hate to be that person.

“Fingers-crossed no one else is in that position.

“It was a bit of a shame. I’m lucky that I’m okay now.

“I’m here and I’m happy again.

“But definitely if it were a worse injury it could’ve been a different result.’’

The revelations follow Plapp releasing graphic footage of the abdominal injury that ended his Olympic campaign.

The 23-year-old is on his way back to Australia after being cleared to fly home by doctors following major abdominal surgery.

He said that he would be taking his time to fully recover.

“There’s five or six stitches on the outside and then there’s however many they needed to put my insides back together,” Plapp said.

“It was definitely a pretty horrible five days.

Australian gold medalist Grace Brown visited teammate Luke Plapp in hospital.

“It’s been a lot more pleasant the last 24 hours, my body has definitely made a massive step forward.

“It’s nice to be in normal everyday clothes and not a hospital gown.

“It’s definitely going to be a long recovery. Post surgery and having your whole stomach cut up, it’s always going to take a while and look, the recovery is going to take a long time because it’s the (stomach) muscles and the insides that are the problem.

“On the outside I feel quite alright and just take the time that it needs.’’

Plapp’s mental strength can’t be understated.

A Tokyo bronze medallist in team pursuit, the Victorian said he was already focusing on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“I still believe everything happens for a reason. I’m not sure what this reason is, but if it is that LA will be all the more special, then that’s alright,’’ Plapp said.

“I was in the medal position when I crashed. That hurts, but also gives me confidence that the training I did with my coach and team was paying off.

“The reason I’m an athlete is for the Olympics.

“There’s nothing more special than this. That’s already what my biggest goal is now.

“It’s four years away, but I saw how quickly it creeps up on you after Tokyo.

“I was pretty determined for this Olympics, but I think after what has happened now, the hunger for LA is there and I can’t wait to try and make amends.’’

Originally published as Australian Olympic cyclist Lucas Plapp shares video of gruesome Paris Olympics injuries