Fachie survives painful crash to take another gold after Wales ‘poke bear’
Neil Fachie and pilot Aaron Pope won Scotland’s final Para-cycling gold of the Commonwealth Games despite crashing heavily during the deciding race against Wales. The victory gave Fachie gold in both the men’s tandem B 1,000m and sprint, ending his Commonwealth Games career at Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, where it began.
After winning the first race of the best-of-three sprint final and losing the second, Fachie and Pope fell after their wheels clipped during the decisive contest. Fachie suffered bleeding legs and a torn racing suit, but the pair returned to the track, driven by anger and adrenaline, and recovered to secure the win; Fachie said retirement now includes celebrating with a few whiskies.
- Fachie and Pope won gold after a painful crash.
- The win ended Fachie’s Commonwealth Games career.
- Scotland beat Wales in the deciding sprint race.
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Para-cycling is a form of cycling adapted for athletes with different impairments. In tandem events, a visually impaired rider sits at the back while a sighted pilot steers from the front; the pair race together as one team.
Neil Fachie is a Scottish tandem rider, and Aaron Pope was his pilot at the Games. They faced a Welsh pair in a sprint final, where the first team to win two races takes the title. The Commonwealth Games bring together athletes from countries and territories linked to the former British Empire, and a gold medal contributes to each nation’s overall medal tally.
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow hosted track cycling at the Games. Fachie’s win was notable as he had begun his Commonwealth Games career at the same venue, and the competition marked his planned retirement from the Games.