A top cyclist who crashed as he raced behind British champion Sir Chris Hoy was skewered with a 20cm splinter - but got back on his bike to finish an amazing THIRD.
Azizulhasni Awang was in the final bend of a world title race yesterday, when four of the six riders crashed in a scene of carnage behind Sir Chris, the winner.
The 23-year-old's calf was skewered by a shard of Siberian pine from the track, but he recovered to remount his bike and take third place, behind Sir Chris and Jason Niblett in the men's Keirin final at the Track World Cup.
Agony: The splinter pierced Awang's calf, from back to front
Injured: The Malaysian rider gets treated by a medic after the accident at the Manchester Velodrome
But, once over the finish line, Awang collapsed in agony before he was taken away on a stretcher.
The 23-year-old was unable to receive his bronze medal on the podium, and will have the wood from the Manchester Velodrome track removed from his leg today at the city's Royal Infirmary.
Awang has won World Championship medals in the last two seasons and is renowned for his trademark wheelie as he crosses the line. He has been ruled out of next month's World Championships.
A scan late last night assessed the injury, but doctors decided to wait until today to tackle the splinter.
Malaysia head coach John Beasley said: 'They said it's best if they do it with all their experts around and when everyone's fresh.
'The only way they can do it is by surgically going in from both ends and spreading it apart and pulling it out.'
Pain: Awang's face shows the pain of his injuries after the splinter pierced his calf
Unbearable: Awang tried to control his pain at the Velodrome
He said he was unaware of the splinter when he helped Awang back to his bike, checking the rider's head and state of mind, but not assessing his body for injuries.
'I feel really bad because I didn't even see it," added the head coach, who believes adrenaline took Awang across the line.
'It wasn't until later I knew he had the splinter.'
Awang will return to his home in Melbourne next week and is due to get married in April.
Beasley added: 'He'll be right for the Olympics. Hopefully Sir Chris Hoy will be in second place and he'll be on the top.'
Although rare, such injuries are not unusual in track cycling and Jason Queally, the Sydney Olympic champion, famously now rides only against the clock - rather than elbow-to-elbow races - after crashing at the Meadowbank track in Edinburgh in 1996 and being pierced by an 18-inch piece of wood.
