ANKUDINOFF Ashlee

General
RIO CRASH
She was part of the Australian team pursuit squad that went into the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as one of the favourites for the gold medal. However, the team were involved in a serious crash during training just two days before the competition was due to start. Four out of the five members of the squad sustained injuries, with Ankudinoff requiring treatment for a subluxation of the AC joint in her shoulder. The team went on to compete at the Games, and eventually placed fifth. "We clipped wheels and I was last to fall as I was sitting just off the back and tried to avoid it but couldn't. I hit the track hard and slid a fair distance. I laid there for a moment and everything was silent until I was back with it and heard [teammate] Mel [Hoskins] yelling out in a fair bit of pain. It sent chills through me as I lay there on my side not being able to lift my body up off the ground knowing that my three teammates were lying injured as well. I knew straight away I had done something to my shoulder and was hoping I didn't break my collarbone. We all got up and hobbled back to the pits except Mel who was being stretchered off into an ambulance where she was taken to hospital for x-rays on her hip." (olympics.com.au, 20 Mar 2020; pelotonwatch.com, 22 Sep 2016)