American sprinter Noah Lyles, 26, was involved in a shocking golf buggy accident right before his semi-final run at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary with the crash video of him and Andrew Hudson viral
Lyles was one of eight athletes being transported to the call room inside the National Athletics Centre in Budapest when another golf cart crashed violently into their vehicle.
Noah Lyles and Andrew Hudson involved in golf cart crash, accident video goes viral
Noah Lyles was just involved in a golf cart collision on the way to the track for his 200m semi-final…
Imagine if swimmers were transported from the warm up pool to the competition pool on a boat 🤣
— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) August 24, 2023
Noah Lyles breaks down the collision his golf cart was in that caused a delay at the #WorldAthleticsChamps. @LylesNoah | @LewisJohnsonMG pic.twitter.com/xBaJUtBK8a
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 24, 2023
As the golf cart was heading towards the stadium entrance next to the Danube river, it was hit from the side by another cart. The impact caused the driver, believed to be an event volunteer, to be thrown out of his seat onto the ground. Jamaican sprinter Andrew Hudson, 26, suffered shards of glass in his right eye due to the collision.
Hudson later said, “I don’t know what happened, it’s a blur. The race was a blur, my eyesight is a blur. I am going to make sure my eyesight is okay.” He also added, “I’m just trying to get glass out of my eye. I went back to the medical (room) and the doctor said I had some shards of glass in my eye.”
The show must go on
Despite the accident and his injury, Hudson decided to run the race. “World Athletics asked me if I was going to run or not. It was kind of run or lose my spot. And I’ve worked too hard to be here. That’s why I tried,” said Hudson. Although he finished fifth in his heat, Hudson was later allowed to progress via a discretionary spot to Friday’s final, after a protest from Team Jamaica.
The organizers’ statement
A World Athletics statement confirmed the Noah Lyles’s accident: “The 200m heats reorder was due to the collision of two golf carts. One athlete and a volunteer were assessed and the athlete cleared to participate. He competed in the last heat. The volunteer is also fine. The Local Organising Committee is investigating the incident and reviewing the transport procedures.”
Defending champion lyles looks ahead
Noah Lyles, the defending 200 metres world champion, later tweeted, “Survived a crash and made the Finals. God is Good!” He is eyeing another win in the 200m after having won gold in the men’s 100m last Sunday.
Public announcement
Gabby Logan announced the news live on BBC Sport, even providing footage of the incident caught on camera.
Despite the scary incident, both athletes are looking forward to the competition and giving their best performances. This accident serves as a cautionary tale for event organizers to review their safety measures and make necessary adjustments.
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