© PABritish Paralympic cyclist Simon Richardson, who is in a critical condition after an alleged hit-and-run incident, with one of the two gold medals he won in Beijing.
The collision involving the 44-year-old, who won two gold medals and a silver at the Beijing 2008 games, took place near Bridgend on Wednesday morning. It is a particularly cruel blow for Richardson given that his participation in Paralympic events came about after another cycling accident in 2001, when lost the use of his left leg after colliding with a car.
"It's like a worst nightmare being repeated 10 years on," said Phil Jones, a company director who sponsors Richardson and has become a friend. "If you think of what he has fought back from, what he has achieved, to be almost back to zero will require immense mental toughness."
Police said Richardson, of Porthcawl, was apparently struck by a small white van travelling in the same direction along the A48, causing injuries to his spine, legs and a lung as well as a broken pelvis and breast bone. The van did not stop at the scene. A 59-year-old man has been arrested concerning the incident.
Comment: What is going on in Bridgend, Wales? Another case in the string of weirdness: Schoolgirl battered to death with brick