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Commonwealth Games fans warned after spectator drops mobile phone on velodrome track during race

Incident happened during team pursuit heat on opening day of competition at Anna Meares Velodrome

 

Fans attending track cycling events at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia have been warned to hold onto their mobile phones after a spectator dropped one onto the track during a race.

The incident happened during the first session of the opening day of competition at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane, Queensland, reports AFP.

The mobile phone was dropped during a heat of the mens’ team pursuit, where riders can reach speeds in excess of 60 kilometres an hour.

Fortunately, the dropped phone did not cause a crash, but the episode prompted a warning from the announcer at the packed venue.

He told spectators, "Please be careful, a mobile phone has just been dropped onto the track," adding that it could have caused a "major accident" had one of the riders struck it.

BBC Sport is currently showing the first evening session at the velodrome, which will see six gold medals decided.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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8 comments

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rxpell | 6 years ago
0 likes

If they actually let genuine track cycling fans get the seats in the venue they wouldn't have as many problems  3

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whobiggs | 6 years ago
0 likes

Ban the public - they always cause so many problems! yes

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Altimis | 6 years ago
0 likes

Just put some fence on.

Like Keirin Japanese often did in their velodrome/track.

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ACBush replied to Altimis | 6 years ago
0 likes

Altimis wrote:

Just put some fence on.

A fence didn't stop Vincenzo Nibali getting hit by a mobile phone in a spectator's extended hand in the closing stages at Milan-San Remo, knocking it onto the road.  A fence is just something else for people to lean over, paying more attention to their intended selfie than to the action right in front of them.

 

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jhsmith87 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Whenever I have been to velodromes the marshalls have been pretty good at approaching individuals who are close to the barrier to move back. Personally I wouldn't want to be that close to be able to drop anything in the first place with the speeds they go at!

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
10 likes

That bloke is just giving all of us mobile phone users a bad name.

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dassie | 6 years ago
4 likes

Given the fact that just about everyone has a mobile on them, and that as far as I'm aware this 'dropping' incident is fairly rare, very clear general verbal and written warnings about dropping anything on the track should suffice. 

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
6 likes

Ban the public from carrying cameras. Watch the racing and leave the photos to the professionals.

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