Tokyo Olympics 2021: Aron Baynes ruled out of Boomers basketball campaign with neck injury

The Boomers’ hopes of a breakthrough medal in Tokyo have been dealt an almighty blow with one of their biggest stars struck down by a freak injury.

Australian big man Aron Baynes has been ruled out of the rest of the Olympic Games with a neck injury in a cruel blow to the Boomers’ Tokyo medal hopes.

AOC Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Hughes confirmed Baynes suffered an injury on-court against Italy, before slipping in the bathroom in a freak accident that has seen his Games campaign come to an end.

“It was a complicated series of events,” Hughes told reporters.

“He did suffer an injury during the match on the court, and then he had a slip in the bathroom and suffered further injury.

“It became apparent to the medical staff that this was a bit more serious than just an average injury.”

Baynes was taken to hospital, where he has undergone further testing.

“I am really disappointed that I can’t continue in the Olympics,” Baynes said.

“I along with the rest of the team have been working so hard in our quest for a historic Olympic medal and I am gutted that I can’t complete the journey with the boys’, but I have every confidence that they will get the job done”.

Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said Baynes will be missed, but the Boomers have shown enormous team spirit in this campaign.

“It’s very sad for Aron but I have been really impressed with the way the Boomers as a group have shown leadership for the whole Australian Olympic Team. They will bounce back from this setback and we wish Aron all the best for a quick recovery.”

Aron Baynes is out of the Boomers’ Tokyo campaign.

Head Coach Brian Goorjian said that it was unfortunate but remained confident in the teams chances.

“Aron is a big part of our team and we are all hurting for him, but we have great depth in our squad and I have every confidence the 11 remaining players. We will all stay focused on the task ahead,” Goorjian said.

“Unfortunately, injuries can happen but this team is resilient and we will adapt”.

Duop Reath is the only traditional big man left on the roster, while Landale and Kay will be required to step up throughout the rest of the tournament.

While Baynes hasn’t ruled out competing in Paris come 2024, this injury could very well spell the end of his Olympic career.

Duop Reath will need to step up in Aron Baynes’ absence.

Despite head coach Brian Goorjian playing down concerns post-game on Wednesday, the seriousness of Baynes’ injuries were made clear with his Games campaign over before it really began.

💚💛thanks for the luv! https://t.co/NZStFHWDVF

— Aron Baynes (@aronbaynes) July 30, 2021

Captain Patty Mills echoed Goorjian’s sentiments.

“It’s a tough loss for us. His presence on the floor and physical play has been a big part of our identity for so long and that will be missed, but it doesn’t change our focus and how we go about our business and what we have come to achieve,” Mills said.

“We have always spoken about how important each player’s role is, and the impact it can have for the better of our group because of our depth. That doesn’t change. We’ve got Baynsey’s back. We’ll cover for him.

“I have every confidence in this playing group and our focus will not waiver as we strive for that Olympic gold medal,” he added.

The Boomers next pool game is against Germany on Saturday at 5:20pm local time, 6:20pm AEST.

Originally published as Tokyo Olympics 2021: Aron Baynes ruled out of Boomers basketball campaign with neck injury