Chilling scenes as Aussie BMX favourite Saya Sakakibara is stretchered off track at Tokyo

Australian BMX star Saya Sakakibara was stretchered off during the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics after a horror crash left her motionless on the track. 

Sakakibara’s wheel was clipped by Alise Willoughby as the pair jostled for the lead, with furious fans calling for the American to be disqualified over the collision.  

In a cruel twist, her older brother Kai was left brain-damaged and in a coma for two months after an eerily similar crash in a BMX World Cup race last year.  

Kai should have joined her on the Australian BMX racing team for the Games – but was instead cheering her on from their grandmother’s home in Tokyo.

In a gut-wrenching interview after recovering from the fall, which knocked her out of the event, Saya broke down in tears and apologised for ‘letting down’ her brother. 

Aussie BMX star Saya Sakakibara, 21, suffered a horrific crash during her Olympics semi-final

Aussie BMX star Saya Sakakibara, 21, suffered a horrific crash during her Olympics semi-final

Sakakibara was clipped from behind by US rival Alise Willoughby while leading the race. Furious fans called for the American to be disqualified

Sakakibara was clipped from behind by US rival Alise Willoughby while leading the race. Furious fans called for the American to be disqualified 

Sakakibara is seen being stretchered off the track after she went down on Friday at the Tokyo Games BMX semi finals

Sakakibara is seen being stretchered off the track after she went down on Friday at the Tokyo Games BMX semi finals

Sakakibara was well on her way to scoring a spot in the finals before the horror collision

Sakakibara was well on her way to scoring a spot in the finals before the horror collision

‘I feel like I let everyone down especially my brother,’ she said in between tears. 

‘I can’t believe it’s over. It just really sucks for sure. Honestly, I don’t really know what happened, but I know that I was riding really well.

‘My stats were going really well. I came down with Alise [Willoughby] who caught up with me, we came down together. That’s all I remember.’

Sakakibara fortunately came away with just a few bumps and bruises and will continue to be monitored for the next 24 hours as a precaution. 

‘I want to say to everybody back home thank you so much for supporting me. It would have been great to be in that final and go for that gold, but this is the sport of BMX,’ she said.

‘I just have to take this as a plus and make sure I come back stronger for Paris.’   

Saya Sakakibara suffered a horrific crash during her Olympics semi-final race

Her brother Kai was left with severe brain trauma and in a coma after a bike crash (pictured before injury)

Cruel twist: Saya ‘s older brother Kai was left brain-damaged and in a coma for two months after an eerily similar crash while riding last year

Sakakibara choked back tears after the collision upon realising her dream of getting the gold medal had been taken away

Sakakibara choked back tears after the collision upon realising her dream of getting the gold medal had been taken away

Sakakibara was well in the lead along with American Alise Willoughby when the pair collided

Sakakibara was well in the lead along with American Alise Willoughby when the pair collided

Kai and the rest of Saya’s family were watching on from Tokyo when she hit the ground during the tense semi-final.

Speaking after Saya’s race, Kai said his sister was well on her way to getting a spot in the gold-medal final before the unthinkable happened.

‘Today was all about the finishing off what we started yesterday. Which was to qualify through to the final, but unfortunately Saya had a bad stack and that didn’t happen, so that was really annoying,’ he said.

‘But either way I’m really proud of her. I can’t wait to see her race again.

When asked by the Channel 7 presenter if he wanted to give a message to his sister, Kai was a beacon of support.

‘Saya, I know this isn’t what you wanted, but either way I’m proud and lets go and prepare for the next one,’ he said. 

Kai, who has amazed doctors with his ongoing recovery, is in Tokyo to be part of the Paralympic torch relay but unable to visit the BMX venue due to Covid restrictions.  

In another emotional scene just minutes after she regained consciousness, Saya was seen walking over to the track to hug her boyfriend Romain Mahieu who had just finished sixth in his own final. 

Olympics officials are seen carrying Sakakibara off the racetrack after she went down

Olympics officials are seen carrying Sakakibara off the racetrack after she went down

The 21-year-old Australian was leading the event with her eyes set for the finals before the crash

The 21-year-old Australian was leading the event with her eyes set for the finals before the crash

Twitter erupted after the collision with many sending their well wishes to Sakakibara, while others called for Willoughby to be disqualified.

‘I feel that (Willoughby) should be disqualified after forcing the crash on race leader Saya Sakakibara in the semi finals of the BMX racing, there was no need for the touch,’ one tweeted. 

‘Absolutely crushing for Saya Sakakibara. She was flying and taken down through no fault of her own,’ said another.

‘Very unfortunate to be fouled out by another rider. Stay strong Saya,’ one wrote. 

‘Just curious, what happens when another rider unnecessarily clips your wheel like that? Are there official channels to protest or any consequences for what happened to Saya Sakakibara?’ another tweeted. 

Sakakibara is seen ahead of her semi final on Friday

Sakakibara is seen ahead of her semi final on Friday

Kai has amazed doctors with his ongoing recovery - he can ride a bike again - but a long road still lies ahead. He is in Tokyo cheering on his little sister as she lives out her dream

Kai has amazed doctors with his ongoing recovery – he can ride a bike again – but a long road still lies ahead. He is in Tokyo cheering on his little sister as she lives out her dream

American rider Willoughby, who also stayed down injured after the collision before dusting herself off and finishing the race, is the wife of Australian BMX star Sam.

Sam Willoughby was left paralysed from the waist down after a 2016 training crash. 

Meanwhile Australia’s other BMX rider Lauren Reynolds finished fifth in the finals with Great Britain’s Bethany Shriever winning the gold.  

In another heart-stopping moment at the BMX, American rider Connor Fields plummeted into the ground after a three-bike crash in his semi-finals.

Fields, an Olympics gold medallist, was carried off in a stretcher and rushed to hospital.

Kai is in Tokyo to be part of the Paralympic torch relay, travelling with their Japanese-born mum and grandmother

Kai is in Tokyo to be part of the Paralympic torch relay, travelling with their Japanese-born mum and grandmother

source: dailymail.co.uk