Reports from French sports website, L’Equipe, indicate that Loana Lecomte suffered a ‘head trauma and minor jaw injury’ after a nasty crash in the rock garden at the Élancourt Hill track. Spectators, fans, and everyone watching the live stream of the Paris 2024 Olympic XCO race collectively gasped as the 24 year-old racer – who was riding a hardtail – went over the bars as her front wheel jammed in a rock garden, and her head hit a rock. She momentarily raised her head after the landing, but then appeared to black out, lying face down on the technical descent while in third position behind eventual winner, compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and Puck Pieterse of the Netherlands.

ELANCOURT, FRANCE – JULY 28: Loana Lecomte of Team France crashes during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28, 2024 in Elancourt, France. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

Lecomte remained on the ground for a long time after the cameras cutaway, according to the L’Equipe article, before being stretchered away. We wish Loana a speedy recovery, and will update this article when we have more information.

ELANCOURT, FRANCE – JULY 28: Loana Lecomte of Team France, seen wearing bandages after crashing whilst competing, reacts as she leaves the course after the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28, 2024 in Elancourt, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Update Monday 29th July: Media outlets, including our sister site, Cyclingnews, are reporting that despite suffering a concussion in the race, Loana Lecomte walked away from the medical centre at the track smiling, with her face bandaged from several stitches to her chin. “We can imagine her pain: we saw her ready too today , in the first two laps. Loana is instinctive. She comes from alpine skiing, she is not afraid of commitment at all. She rides at 100 km/h, she jumps… As she is young, we will be able to correct that. We will surround her and be there as we were with Pauline (Ferrand-Prévôt) after Rio,” France mountain bike coach Yvan Clolus told L”Equipe.

The men’s race takes place today (Monday 29th July) and you can find out how to watch the Olympic XCO for free here.