Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad has become the first Paralympic athlete to die in competition following a horrific crash in the men’s C4/C5 road race in Rio on Saturday. The crash happened on a downhill section and a right-hand bend on Avenida Estado da Guanabara on the hilly Grumari circuit, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 organising committee said. Iran’s NPC head, Masoud Ashrafi, said Golbarnezhad had “lost control and he hit the fence or wall”. However, his condition deteriorated after he was transferred to an ambulance, Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada said at a media conference on Saturday evening. Iran’s NPC had two requests – that Golbarnezhad’s body be released to be returned to his family and that a full investigation take place.

Source: The Guardian September 18, 2016 08:26 UTC