Bus collision at European Games: 3 Austrian athletes injured

The first European Games begin tomorrow at Baku in Azerbaijan

The inaugural edition of the European Games begins tomorrow, the 12^th of June in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Three synchronised swimmers from Austria, who were inside the sports village designated for the event, were hit by a bus on their walk. Swimmer Vanessa Sahinovic was described as “severely injured”, and a spokesperson from the Austrian Olympic Committee said she would be flown back home to Vienna for further treatment. Her teammate Luna Payer has also suffered injuries to her arms, and will also return to the Austrian capital.

Their third teammate, Verena Breit, has suffered bruising to her legs and thighs, and has returned to the village.

The AOC said the collision happened at 08:30 local time on Thursday, when the athletes were walking on the pavement in the Olympic village.

AOC chief medical officer Dr Alfred Engel said Sahinovic had suffered a polytrauma and multiple fractures.

Dr. Robert Kandelhard, the team doctor, will return to Vienna with the two seriously injured athletes to oversee their treatment.

With this news come allegations by British newspaper The Guardian, which says authorities have banned its journalists from covering events at the European Games, and that they were denied entry into Azerbaijan entirely.

The Guardian previously criticised the country’s limited freedom of speech and oppression of political opposition.