Rio Olympian mountain biker Alan Hatherly is making a rapid recovery from a serious crash and remains confident he’ll be ready to race at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Hatherly, the current U23 World Championship silver medallist, injured both arms while riding the recent Tankwa Trek mountain bike race in the Koue Bokkeveld region near Ceres.

The Team Spur rider, who will turn 22 just before the Commonwealth Games, described to Team South Africa the buildup to his tumble.

‘I crashed on stage three – near the end of the stage. It was a very fast stage and we were averaging around 34kph average until that point.

‘When we crashed there was a big group of 20 riders and I was about the 14th wheel. It was actually a bit of a crazy day, more like a road race.

‘We were all going down a single track which was pretty wide at about two metres across. The track was actually relatively smooth down towards the river bed and we were flying down at around 35kph.’

In their path though was a big rock on the right hand side of the descent. ‘A couple of guys ahead of me missed it but with the dust that they churned up I didn’t see it, and I hit it really hard. I broke my left arm and damaged by right wrist.’

Thankfully quick thinking from medics and team management saw Hatherly rushed back to Cape Town where he was operated on the same day.

‘Recovery has been really good,’ said an upbeat Hatherly this week. ‘I had my follow-up this week and the doctor reckons I’m ahead of schedule!

‘I’ve got lots of movement and the muscle atrophy isn’t too bad and I’m doing lots of rehab work to strengthen it up.’

The good news is that he’s been training as per normal from Friday last week. ‘I took four days off after the accident and the power and heart rate readings are all where they should be.

‘So the form is there.. it’s just a matter of getting out there and riding in the sun again.’

In the picture Hatherly (left) waits for medical attention after his crash with Bulls team member Karl Platt