Egyptian cyclist barred from Olympics over crash with team-mate

Shahd Saeed insists the collision with Ganna Eliwa was “not deliberate”

An Egyptian track cyclist who collided with a rival team-mate will no longer compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics, after the Egyptian Olympic Committee (EOC) ruled that she should be barred over the incident.

The EOC said Shahd Saeed, 19, was not eligible because of the one-year suspension from local competitions that was imposed by the Egyptian Cycling Federation in April.

Many Egyptians had criticised her selection for the Olympics by the federation, whose president had said it was acting “in favour of Egypt”.

In a TV interview following the EOC’s decision, Saeed admitted she was at fault for the crash with Ganna Eliwa but insisted it was “not deliberate”.

“I wish I had represented Egypt in the Olympics and my efforts over three years had paid off,” she told a talk show.

Eliwa, who is also 19, said she was happy that Saeed would be unable to compete.

“It was expected,” she added. “Saeed does not deserve to be at Paris.”

Eliwa was left concussed and with a broken right collarbone and severe cuts and bruises to the right-hand side of her body, according to a medical report, after she was pushed off her bike 300m (980ft) before the finishing line of an event in Suez on 27 April.

In video footage of the incident, Saeed is seen riding behind Eliwa before she swerves, forcing Eliwa into the barrier. The latter underwent an operation to fix her right shoulder, suffered temporary loss of memory and is still unable to resume competitive cycling.

Saeed said several times that it was an accident, but Eliwa said she never apologised for what happened. It was unclear what caused Saeed to swerve into her opponent.

After an investigation into the incident, the Egyptian Cycling Federation suspended Saeed from the sport for one year and fined her the equivalent of $100 (£77) - the maximum penalty.

Despite that, the federation still registered her for the track cycling at the Olympics.

The decision sparked public anger in Egypt. Many social media users urged authorities to reconsider, with some saying the selection violated the values of Olympism - excellence, respect and friendship.

In a statement issued late on Saturday, the EOC noted that the cycling federation had found that Saeed violated “the regulations, customs, values and ethics of sports” during April’s event.

"Shahd Saeed is not eligible to participate in any international competition, including the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, due to her one-year suspension until 26 April 2025," it said.

The EOC also urged Egyptian media and public to support the remaining members of the national team at the Olympics.