It’s a terrifying reality, but some accidents you simply don’t walk away from. Thankfully, two European racers, Johan Johansson and Marcin Senda sustained only relatively minor (non life-threatening) injuries during a high speed impact at the start of Moto 1 of the UIM-ABP Aquabike Grand Prix of Liuzhou.
Of the two, Senda walked away uninjured with Johansson suffering four broken ribs. The 42-year-old is currently mending in a Liuzhou hospital “for further precautionary scans and supervision” according to UIM’s media outlet, before being permitted to fly home to Gothenburg, Sweden in a few days.
The collision between three runabouts piloted by Mattia Fracasso, Marcin Senda and Johansson, occurring during the race’s “high speed rolling start.” Fracasso was shown clipping the back of Senda’s runabout which caused it to veer “violently into the side of Johannson,” according to UIM.
“The impact launched machines and riders skyward with Johansson immediately taken off the water to be assessed by Dr Pija Sumer and the on-site medical team, and then transferred to hospital. Senda and his badly damaged machine were towed back to the pits, with Fracasso able to continue in the race.”
Thankfully, all three racers involved will be back in competition soon enough with Johansson requiring a few more weeks before being able to suit up again. Until that time, new machines are being built and tested.
Additional images provided by OZPWC and Motorowodne Mistrzostwa Polski Skuterów Wodnych
