Buchanan hospitalised after off-road vehicle crash

Australian BMX and mountain bike rider Caroline Buchanan is recovering in hospital after a vehicle crash in Canberra on Saturday. Cycling Australia has said that Buchanan is in good spirits despite suffering a broken sternum, broken nose and collapsed lungs in the incident.

The former BMX world champion was riding in an off-road vehicle on private property with a friend when it overturned. Buchanan has spent several days in the intensive care unit but has now been moved to a private room as she recovers from her injuries.

Buchanan posted a picture of herself in hospital with visible injuries to her face and chest, and a second photo of her sternum x-ray. She also published a video of her having her lungs drained, saying that she had two litres of fluid drained since the accident.

"I wouldn't say 2017 ended quite as planned. It's been a rough couple of days in ICU after a vehicle roll," Buchanan wrote on Instagram. "I just moved to a private room and everything is moving in a positive recovery direction."

Buchanan is a five-time mountain bike world champion and a three-time BMX world champion. She represented Australia in the BMX discipline at the 2012 Olympic Games and made it through to the final, where she finished in fifth place. She was named Canberra’s female athlete of the year in November.

Cycling Australia states that Buchanan is expected to make a full recovery, although it is unclear how long she will be out of racing.