Neil Fachie wins again, taking the men's tandem B sprint gold in his final Commonwealth race despite a crash that left him and pilot Aaron Pope bloodied and battered.
The decider came at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, where Fachie and Pope faced Wales' James Ball and Matt Rotherham. The Scottish pair won the first match in the best-of-three final, lost the second, then collapsed in a heap after clipping wheels early in the final race, a collision that sent a helmet flying and prompted a stunned silence across the arena.
Moments earlier Fachie had told Pope, "The story is written here, let's finish it off." After the fall, Pope steadied his partner and they returned to the track to race the deciding heat. Fachie forced his way to the line in a neck-and-neck sprint, raising his arms as he pounded his chest when the finish went his way.
Adrenaline masked much of the pain. "Adrenaline is a wonderful thing," Fachie said, calling the incident a "little slide". Pope added, "You can't really describe it," describing the urgency to get back on the bike and deliver a result for a team-mate and a crowd.
The win completed a final Games appearance that already included gold in the men's tandem B 1,000m, and it ended with an emotional podium moment as Fachie listened to Flower of Scotland. His wife Lora appeared on the big screen, saying, "It's just a relief its over," as spectators took in the sight of a career-ending victory salted with tears and grit.
Fachie showed the physical cost of that determination, grimacing as burns and bleeding from the crash became visible, and admitting his rear end "hurt a bit". He promised some celebration, saying he planned to "sink a few whiskys," and earlier had joked "hold my beer" when asked whether he could claim another medal after Thursday's gold.
The 19-time world champion made clear he does not intend to return to elite racing. "I'm not a fan of those athletes who say they're out and then they come back," he said. "I just see no way that it's going to happen. I don't think I've got anything more to give." With two home Games golds added to a record career, Fachie leaves with the result he wanted and no apparent appetite to change his mind.
