Top athlete crashes out of world triathlon

09 April 2016 - 16:20 By David Isaacson

Triathlete Richard Murray — one of South Africa’s top medal hopes for the Rio Olympics in August —broke a collarbone and hand during the Gold Coast World Triathlon Series event in Australia on Saturday. Murray‚ a medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and who has consistently finished in the top three at major races in the past year‚ was taken to hospital.A fit Murray is a key part of Team South Africa's target of winning 10 Olympic medals‚ which would equal the country’s best hauls of 1952 and 1920.The Games in Brazil begin on August 6 and the men’s triathlon is set for August 18.Pictures of him lying in a bed with his left arm in a sling‚ and an x-ray of his broken clavicle‚ soon appeared on social media.“Getting a cast on his hand now‚ which is also broken [in] two places‚” tweeted Dutch triathlete Rachel Klamer. “Trying to get home ASAP to get his collarbone operated [on].”In his last tweet before the race‚ Murray said he was racing for a friend who had recently died. – TMG Digital/The Times..

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