SPORTS
Burry Stander: South African mountain biker killed in crash
Baku, January 4 (AZERTAC). South African mountain biker Burry Stander has died in a road accident while on a training ride.
The 25-year-old, who finished fifth at the London Olympics in 2012, was killed in a collision with a taxi in Shelly Beach, a town in the KwaZulu-Natal province on South Africa`s east coast.
Stander was a two-time Olympian, having also competed in Beijing in 2008.
He was also a former Under-19 and Under-23 world champion and finished third in the 2010 World Championships.
Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius tweeted: "Absolutely devastated by the tragic news of Burry Stander`s passing. A South African icon and sporting great. RIP my friend."
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) President Gideon Sam added in a statement: "Burry was the epitome of an Olympic athlete; talented, ultra-competitive but at the same time extremely humble and a true gentleman."
Britain`s Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, fellow Team GB rider Mark Cavendish and British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton have also recently been involved in collisions with cars.