Olympic Champion Meares heads home after crash

Olympic Champion Anna Meares will fly home from the Los Angeles Track World Cup after being cleared by doctors to travel. The Australian crashed during the final of the keirin event on Sunday and was taken to hospital for treatment. The 24 year-old Team Toshiba rider said she remembered the accident and hitting the deck, but little after she was knocked unconscious.

"I remember actually accelerating before the bell to make my move and I remember hitting my head and being in a lot of pain and that was it," stated Meares.

"It was the last lap of the keirin and I was on the back deliberately because everyone was crossing around and I thought I could get a clearer run from there," Meares continued. "As I tried to come around from the middle of the bend there was a lot of movement and Svetlana Grankowskaja was forced to come back down the track and when she did she collected my front wheel as I was coming underneath her.

Meares has suffered a hairline fracture to her C2 vertebrae and some torn muscles in her neck, a dislocated right shoulder, torn tendons in her shoulder and some bruising. "The doctors here say it will be four to six weeks before I get back to normal and I will need to wear a soft collar neck brace and use a sling for a while."