Hopes rise for critical injured cyclists - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Hopes rise for critical injured cyclists

By Chris Lines 22/07/2005 05:15:57 AM Comments (0)

Doctors are increasingly optimistic about the recovery of critically-injured Australian cyclists Alexis Rhodes and Louise Yaxley, despite seeing no immediate improvement in their condition.

Rhodes and Yaxley remain in a critical condition at the Jena University Clinic in eastern Germany after teammate Amy Gillett was killed and three others from the Australian Institute of Sport women's road team were seriously hurt when hit by a runaway car on Monday.

The pair remain unconscious and reliant on artificial respiration, but doctors said there was reason to be optimistic about their chances of recovery.

"There has been no deterioration, which is good news," deputy chair of the clinic's intensive care unit Dr Gernot Marx said.

"They are still in a critical condition, but there was no deterioration overnight.

"They have had a very good post-operative period for their recuperative base and we have to see how it goes.

"They are as good as they can be it is fair to say."

Rhodes suffered spinal damage and severe chest injuries in the collision.

It had been feared she may be paralysed as a result of the crash, but while doctors could not fully rule out the possibility, it was expected she will not.

"From the investigations we have made the spinal cord appears not to be injured, but to be 100 per cent sure she has to be awake and this we have to wait for," surgeon Dr Ralf Schmidt said.

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