Two German team members hurt in high-speed taxi crash on way back to Rio’s Olympic village
Stefan Henze is still in hospital with life-threatening head injuries, while fellow coach Cristian Kading has been discharged
Two members of the German Olympic slalom canoeing technical team have been involved in high speed car accident in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Friday, according to police reports.
One is fighting for his life.
Stefan Henze, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics and Christian Kading, sports scientist with the German canoe team, were returning to the Olympic Village by taxi along Avenida das Américas, west zone of Rio, when the head on collision happened.
According to paramedics, who attended the scene and the Games Organising Committee, the pair were ‘travelling in a taxi on the way to the Olympic Village, when the driver lost control of the vehicle. It crossed over and crashed on the opposite side of Avenida das Americas.’
In a statement, the taxi driver Artur de Almeida Campos, 26, claimed Christian had suddenly grabbed the wheel as he took a fork in the road on the main Avenida das Americas and the car smashed head-on into a concrete barrier.
The German Olympic delegation revealed that Stefan was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered major head injuries in the collision. Christian and the taxi driver escaped with cuts and bruises.
The accident happened at 4.05am.
The Germans, both 35, were rushed to the Lourenço Jorge Municipal Hospital.
Henze was later transferred to the specialist Miguel Couto Hospital in Leblon, where surgeons battled to save his life. He was taken into surgery around 10am.
In a statement the German Olympic team (DOSB) said: "According to doctors (Stefan’s) head injuries are life-threatening.
"After realising the extent of his injuries (Henze) was taken to a clinic with a special neurosurgical department and underwent emergency surgery.”
A source revealed that Henze suffered cardiac arrest on the operating table but surgeons fought to resuscitate him.
A DOSB spokesperson added: "The team and the leading Olympic doctor Bernd Wolfarth is in constant exchange with the doctors treating (Henze)."
The former athlete is a member of the German rowing technical team and is the the technical coach for woman’s kayaking.
He was world champion in 2013 and won Olympic silver in the C2 category slalom canoeing in Athens in 2004.
Kading is reported to have suffered minor injuries and after undergoing tests was discharged to return to the Olympic Village.
Rio 2016 communications chief, Mario Andrada, confirmed the incident.
In a press conference he said: "One of the canoeing technicians and another member had an accident when they were returning to the Olympic Village by taxi.
"The Rio 2016 is giving all necessary support to the (victims) and to the German delegation," Andrada added.
In a tweet, leading German politician Reiner Haseloff said: “Our thoughts are with Stefan Henze and Christian Kading! All the best and a speedy recovery”.