The Rio Paralympics has been marred by a sad incident after an Iranian cyclist died as a result of a crash during the men’s C4-5 road race.
Bahman Golbarnezhad, 48, suffered cardiac arrest after the incident on a “mountainous stretch” of circuit.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said he was taken to Unimed Rio Hospital in Barra were he breathed his last.
Golbarnezhad also competed at the London Paralympics in 2012.
An investigation has been launched by the cycling body and they are confident that in a matter of days what really happened will come out.
There will be a period of silence will be observed during Sunday’s closing ceremony.
Masoud Ashrafi, the secretary general of Iran’s National Paralympic Committee, said they have requested the body to be flown back home.
The IPC said that Golbarnezhad was involved in a crash on the first section of the Grumari loop, a mountainous stretch of the course, on a curved descent.
Tributes poured in from all quarters. Here is what they had to say:
Iranian Paralympic Committee: “He was an exemplary Paralympic sportsman who, with love and energy, tried his best to promote the name of Iran and to make all of us proud and at the end he gave his life for this.”
Carlos Nuzman, president of Rio 2016: “This is very sad news for sport and for the Paralympic movement. Our hearts and prayers are with Bahman’s family, his team-mates and all the people of Iran.”
Brian Cookson, UCI (cycling’s governing body) president: “I am devastated to hear about the death of Iranian rider Bahman Golbarnezhad. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and the NPC of Iran to whom we offer our most sincere condolences.”
Here is how it happened: