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Heartbreak for Kiwi triathlete after bike crash in wet

July 27, 2021

Ainsley Thorpe's Olympic dreams have been cruelly ended by a crash early in the cycling leg of the women's triathlon this morning.

Thorpe has been registered as DNF after crashing in the first lap of eight in the women's triathlon at the Tokyo Games.

The crash comes after this morning's race was initially delayed due to the bad weather before officials gave it the green light 15 minutes later.

Replays showed Thorpe's bike slid out from underneath her as she rounded a corner amid a group of competitors, hitting the ground hard where she stayed for some time before eventually making her way to her feet to rest on nearby railing.

Ainsley Thorpe moments after her crash in the women's triathlon at the Tokyo Olympics.

Thorpe had started the race in decent form, exiting the swimming section of the competition in 15th as part of the lead chase group looking to rein in the strong swimmers who had broken away in the water.

Thorpe is one of six athletes so far to withdraw from this morning's race midway through the bike stage with the 10km run still to come.

Fellow Kiwi Nicole van der Kaay is currently 21st.

WATCH THE OLYMPICS: TVNZ 1 and TVNZ OnDemand feature 12 hours of free-to-air action focussed on Kiwi athletes each afternoon and evening, while Sky TV has Olympics coverage across 12 channels and streaming platforms.

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