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AAP
AAP
Sport
Roger Vaughan

Sakakibara crashes, Reynolds makes finals

Saka Sakakibara (left) has been stretchered off the track after crashing in the Olympic BMX semis. (AAP)

Australian BMX rider Saya Sakakibara has been stretchered off the track after crashing out of the Olympic semi-finals.

Compatriot Lauren Reynolds made the final after qualifying fourth in her three-race heat.

Sakakibara had just lost the lead in the third race to American Alise Willoughby when they went down together.

The Seven Network reported that Sakakibara was conscious, but shaken, and was still at the track medical centre.

Her older brother Kai continues to recover from a traumatic brain injury after crashing at a World Cup BMX race in February last year.

He is in Tokyo with his mother and grandmother to be part of the Paralympic torch relay, but was not at the track on Friday because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Willoughby is the wife of Australian BMX star Sam.

He was paralysed from the waist down after a training crash soon after the Rio Olympics.

The 2012 London silver medallist was trackside and consoled his wife, the Rio silver medallist, after she finished last in her semi-final heat.

Had Sakakibara finished her last semi-final race, she would have made the final.

Reynolds, raced sensibly in her last semi round, finishing third to confirm her final spot.

It is the first time the three-time Olympian has made the BMX final at the Games.

Friday's schedule was put back by 45 minutes because of concerns about lightning and conditions were overcast, with some light rain.

The Australian women made a disastrous start to the semis, with Sakakibara fading to fifth after a solid start.

Reynolds, racing in the other semi-final heat, went into the fence on the first bend and finished second-last out of eight riders.

She was one of several riders to crash in the men's and women's semis on the technical circuit at Ariake Urban Sports Park.

American star Connor Fields was stretchered off the course after crashing in his third semi-final and reportedly was taken to hospital.

The Australians roared back in their second races, with Sakakibara winning and Reynolds taking second place.

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