The Hungarian mountaineer is now sadly presumed dead.Continue reading
Ten-time Hungarian and two-time Czech champion Bence Szvoboda, 31, suffered a serious injury at a motocross championship in the Czech Republic on Sunday. The rider is currently hanging between life and death.
The HTS Team reported the tragedy on their Facebook page, where they wrote that some people on social media had already started spreading the news of Bence Szvoboda’s death, but that this was not true. According to the team, the rider lost consciousness on the track after a blow to the head and underwent life-saving surgery at a hospital in Prague.
During today’s tests, it was found that his brain functions are not working. His body is still fighting to stay alive, which at the moment is unpredictable how long it will last. Bence is not considered dead yet,
they said. Later, the team commented on the post, saying that unfortunately, Bence has no chance of winning this battle, but he is not considered dead while his heart beats, so they cannot announce his death until then. “We must be aware of the unacceptable fact that he will not be returning to us. For the sake of the family and for reasons of respect, please do not publish the news of his death and offer your condolences until the official announcement has been made,” they wrote.
Exactly how the tragic accident happened is still unclear. An earlier post on the team’s website said that in the first round of the Czech championship race, Bence Szvoboda fell and was then run over by the rider behind him. The German Crossmagazin.de reports that at the time of the accident the Hungarian rider was in third place and was run over by several riders following him.
In 2011, at the age of 19, Bence Szvoboda made history by becoming the first Hungarian rider to score World Championship points in motocross at a German race. He is, among other things, an Austrian junior champion, and a European Championship podium finisher. He grew up in Balatonberény at Lake Balaton and currently lives in Kaposvár, western Hungary. His father is Tamás Szvoboda, a Hungarian amateur champion in motocross racing.
Featured photo via Facebook/HTS Team