This would be tragic if it weren’t so funny. Because it happened at the beginning of the race and none of the riders were moving, we can file this under “funny incidents in sports” and enjoy a guilt-free cackle.
The Buckeye Nationals race held last week in Toledo, Ohio, got off on the wrong foot when the gate malfunctioned and all riders fell on their face. Quite literally so.
You can see video of the incident at the bottom of the page, courtesy of Josh Smith and his YouTube channel, one of the riders. He explains that he took part in the BMX race and includes footage from the start, when all riders are lined up, getting ready to go.
Just as the race is about to start, the gate malfunctions and crashes down, bringing all the riders along with it. They all get up almost immediately, except for one, who receives assistance from organizers. Details about his injuries (if he sustained any) are not known.
While the other riders are shocked, they’re unharmed. Needless to say, they’re mad about what just happened, and you can see it on their face, despite the poor quality of the video.
On his part, Smith seems to have gotten over it by the time he uploaded the video to his YouTube channel. Coming in third probably helped him forget.
“I raced the USA BMX Buckeye National in Toledo, Ohio were the gate broke and we all flipped!” he writes in the caption of the video.
Still, commenters blame the organizers for the incident – as they should. Though no one was hurt, the incident is still embarrassing, tainting what could have been a spotless, thrilling race. The organizers have not even recognized the malfunction in their coverage of the event.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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