Horror crash that left track cycling spectator with “machete-like” injury prompts London velodrome to install Perspex barrier, two years after rider catapulted into crowd, “almost killing” children

Two years on from the shocking crash that saw Olympic omnium champion Mat Walls catapulted over the barriers and into the crowd during the track events at the Commonwealth Games, leaving one spectator with a serious arm injury, Lee Valley VeloPark has announced that it will install a new 1.4m-high Perspex safety barrier around the track, which it describes as a “UK first”.

The £250,000 barrier will be installed later this month as part of a series of improvements being made to the velodrome which hosted the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where a nasty and spectacular crash during the qualifying round for the men’s scratch race prompted calls from Chris Hoy and Laura Kenny to improve safety measures at velodromes.

The devastating final-lap crash brought eight riders down and flung Team England rider Walls over the advertising hoardings and into the front two rows of the stands, where Hugh Colvin was sitting with two of his children, aged five and seven, and some family friends.

(Alex Broadway/SWpix.com)

Groupama-FDJ pro Walls, who won the Olympic omnium title in Tokyo the year before, was treated for over 40 minutes inside the Lee Valley VeloPark before being taken to hospital, where it was confirmed that he had suffered no serious injuries. The Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock, who was carried away on a stretcher, and Canada’s Tour de France top-ten finisher Derek Gee were also treated in hospital for minor injuries.

While the Games’ organisers initially stated that two injured spectators – including the Colvins’ seven-year-old daughter – did not require hospital treatment, Hugh and his wife Laura later confirmed that a family friend, who was sitting beside the Colvins in the front row, was forced to undergo surgery for a serious arm injury which left him covered in blood.

> Commonwealth Games horror crash “close to being a complete catastrophe”

“He suffered a laceration to the bone which the hospital has described as being like a machete injury,” Mrs Colvin said at the time.

“It’s been really difficult for him. In addition to the soft tissue and muscle injury he’s got a partially severed tendon in his arm, so it is the start of a long road to recovery for him.”

The family also said the consequences of the crash could have been much worse, noting that Walls’ bike grazed their daughter’s shoulder, missed their heads by millimetres, and landed in the two seats where his five-year-old son and nephew had been previously sitting, before they moved to the row behind to get a better view of the racing.

(Alex Broadway/SWpix.com)

“What has been quite hard for us to get our head around is being able to see from the photographs that were taken of the incident exactly how close this came to being a complete catastrophe,” Laura added.

“And how close our two younger children came to being seriously injured or killed. And that has been the main thing we've had to reflect on over the last few days.”

The Colvins said at the time that they hoped that the incident would prove the catalyst for a review of velodrome safety, in order to ensure that “no family is ever going to find themselves in our situation”.

Mrs Colvin, who claimed she was unaware of previous instances where track riders have ended up in the crowd, said: “If we had known for a moment that there was a risk that a bike with an adult male going at that speed could come into contact with my seven-year-old daughter, my family would never have been there.”

> Sir Chris Hoy says safety screens could have prevented Matt Walls’ Commonwealth Games crash

That call for a review of the safety protocol at track cycling events was echoed by Chris Hoy, who argued that the dramatic incident was “the direct result of not having a barrier at the top of the fencing”.

“I think it’s preventable if they put a Perspex screen to protect the crowd. I’ve seen a shot of it and it was horrendous to watch,” the six-time Olympic gold medallist said. “Something has to be done before something genuinely serious happens.”

(Alex Broadway/SWpix.com)

Laura Kenny also claimed that the crash, which she described as “horrendous”, almost put her off taking part in the women’s points race later that day.

“It’s the third time now I’ve been in a velodrome and witnessed someone go over the top,” Britain’s most successful female Olympian said.

“Matt was laughing and making jokes with the paramedics which is brilliant to hear but if he’d [not gone over] he would have done less damage and certainly done less damage to the little girl.

“Maybe there should be screens because Matt should not have been able to go over the top and into the crowd – that’s pretty damn dangerous.”

> Olympic champion Matt Walls out of hospital after horrific crash into crowd during Commonwealth Games scratch race

And now, two years on, Lee Valley VeloPark has confirmed that a 1.4m-high barrier, costing £250,000, will be installed around the track, as part of £750,000 worth of improvements to the venue that are due to be completed by the end of the month.

According to Lee Valley, the barrier is “a UK first for an existing velodrome and is believed to be only the third of its kind in the world to be retrofitted”.

The venue added that the UCI has been consulted on the barrier’s design, and says it will improve both rider and spectator safety along with providing better visibility through a transparent screen for spectators sitting at lower levels.