British sprinters James Ellington and Nigel Levine “lucky to be alive” after bike accident

British sprinters James Ellington and Nigel Levine "lucky to be alive" after bike accident

BRITISH Olympic sprinter James Ellington said he and training partner Nigel Levine were lucky to be alive after a road accident in Tenerife yesterday.

By
Christian Miles

PUBLISHED:
00:02, Thu, Jan 19, 2017

| UPDATED: 00:07, Thu, Jan 19, 2017

GETTY

James Ellington put out a message on instagram to thank his follow for their support

The pair were sat on the same motorbike when they were hit by a car coming at them around a bend on the wrong side of the road.

“Overwhelmed and truly touched by everyone’s messages and support,” wrote Ellington on Instagram, where he sent a picture of him in a hospital bed.

“I truly am blessed as I do not know how me or my training partner Nigel are still alive. Me and him are both strong characters and will be looking to bounce back from this horrific accident.”

Overwhelmed and truly touched by everyone's messages and support, I truly am blessed as I do not know how me or my training partner Nigel are still alive. Me and him are both strong characters and will be looking to bounce back from this horrific accident.

A photo posted by James Ellington (@jimmyells) on Jan 18, 2017 at 9:34am PST

Ellington, 31, a 100m and 200m specialist and two-time Olympian, was a key member of Britain’s gold medal-winning 4x100m relay teams at the 2014 and 2016 European Championships.

Levine, 27, is a 400m runner who won a European outdoor relay gold in 2014 and an indoor relay gold in 2013.

The British sprint squad is in Tenerife for warm-weather training.

GETTY

Nigel Levine and James Ellington were both in Tenerife for a training camp

Both men were wearing helmets at the time of the accident and there is no suggestion at this stage of any wrongdoing on their part.

World and European indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty, who is in Tenerife with Ellington and Levine, tweeted: “Jimmy is one of the toughest mates I know and absolutely gutted and heartbroken out here!

“Pray for Nigel! Devastated for both of them, such an unfortunate accident, both strong and will be fighting through”.

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