Injured, then accused on social networks. Anke Sneyer, Paralympic athlete and Belgian long jump champion, was violently knocked down this Sunday.
Coming to attend the Tour of Flanders as a spectator, she was hit on the side during a fall 127 km from the finish. Many Internet users blamed him for causing the fall.
Her brother Thomas, who works in the marketing department of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, defended her in the columns of the Belgian daily Het Niewsblad. “Anke stood neatly away from the race, on the side of the road. The prosecution is currently conducting an investigation in which several witnesses – including the paramedics who followed the platoon – have clearly indicated that the fall was not caused by her, but by another spectator who stood on the road, forcing the riders to swerve and thus hit Anke. »
An update on the spectator involved in a men's race crash - she's a paralympic athlete who had hopes of qualifying for the Paralympics in Paris
Broken collarbone, concussion + head injuries - apparently another spectator in the road caused ithttps://t.co/deslEMWkTM #RVV24
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) March 31, 2024
Anke Sneyers, in the running to participate in the Paris Paralympic Games this summer, could miss the deadline. “She already called me,” her brother said. She is completely devastated. It is all the more difficult for her because she suffers from a mental disability. »
The young woman suffered a concussion, a head injury and a broken collarbone. She has already left the hospital but must return next week for a check-up.
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His brother also asked netizens to stop their comments: "To all internet heroes: next time, think twice, because before you know it, it's happening to someone. 'one that is close to your heart'.