Crankworx: Wright hopes to compete

Downhill racer Keegan Wright hopes to be part of Crankworx despite the injuries he suffered in last week's horrendous crash. Photo/File

Plates, screws for top talent after epic crash

TOP Rotorua downhiller Keegan Wright says he still might compete at Crankworx Rotorua despite suffering a horrendous crash that put him in hospital for a week.

Wright, 19, is one of the best downhill talents to come out of Rotorua in recent years, and was hoping for a top performance in the downhill event on Sunday at Crankworx Rotorua.

The festival begins today and runs until Sunday under the gondolas on Mt Ngongotaha attracting the best mountain bikers in the world.

At the end of last month Wright was completing a training run in Dunedin when his pedal got caught going over a rock garden. He went over the handlebars face first into a rock, breaking his eye socket, cheek, and left hand. He also dislocated his right hand.

"I was going down a rock garden at race pace and clipped my pedal on a rock," he said.

"I got up a couple of minutes later and was a bit blurry."

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Wright was taken to Dunedin Hospital where he was kept for most of last week, receiving three plates and 14 screws in his cheek. He arrived home a few days ago and said he might still compete on Sunday, during the downhill event at Crankworx.

"I think I'm still going to do it," he said. "I've got no pain in my face and I can tape my hand up, I think, but my right hand is still giving me some trouble."

He said he was feeling good up until that crash, producing some fast times in training and racing. Wright said he would make a decision soon whether he would risk competing.

"It is kind of hard because it is such a big event to miss out on," he said. "But in saying that there is so many big events this year I can compete in, and it's a big risk if I crash again."

The two-feature events for Crankworx Rotorua will be held this weekend with the slopestyle event on Saturday afternoon and the downhill race on Sunday afternoon.