Alex Miller is immensely disappointment with how his Paris Olympic Games ended.
The Namibian cyclist crashed out of the men’s cross-country MTB race on Monday, injuring his right hand in the process, which forced him to stop racing.
Yesterday, Miller finally mastered the courage to share an update on what happened.
“Late update, but honestly, just didn’t feel like posting anything earlier,” Miller posted on Facebook.
“Unfortunately, I crashed during lap three of the race, falling hard on my right hand. I tried carrying on, but the pain in my hand was too much,” he said.
It appeared his race was destined to end prematurely, as misfortune struck during the second lap when Miller picked up a puncture on his front wheel.
Although he managed to have it repaired and get back into the race, it didn’t last long.
“Absolutely gutted to have my Olympic race end like that and not be able to give back to those who have backed me,” he said.
The nation should rally behind Miller for attempting to soldier on while severely injured, the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) posted on social media.
“Alex Miller, our talented 23-year-old mountain biking sensation, delivered an inspiring performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the Men’s Cross-Country race,” the committee posted.
“Despite facing a challenging course and experiencing a mid-race crash, Alex demonstrated incredible resilience, positioning himself 29th out of 36 in his first lap.
“Unfortunately, the crash resulted in a suspected wrist injury, which was confirmed by doctors as a spiral fracture in the fourth metacarpal bone of his right hand,” the NNOC noted.
“This injury forced Alex to withdraw from the race (DNF) at lap three out of eight, where he ranked 34th in split 2.
“Nevertheless, Alex’s determination and fighting spirit have made Namibia proud. We wish Alex all the best in his recovery period and hope to see him back on his bike soon.
“Keep your head high, Alex – we are behind you and know you will come back stronger!”
The Namibia Athletes Commission (NAC) also commiserated with the stricken athlete.
“Get well soon, Alex Miller. Unfortunately this had to happen on such a big stage. We are behind you and support you through this,” the NAC said.
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