Former Dakar Rally winner Kenjiro Shinozuka was out of danger yesterday, having won a fight for his life after an accident on Thursday's eighth stage of the event left him in a coma with serious facial injuries.
The 54-year-old Japanese driver escaped cerebral and abdominal injuries and had recovered sufficiently to fly out of Tunis within 48 hours, the head of the Berges du La clinic said yesterday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"His situation is very encouraging and he is out of danger," said clinic chief executive Doctor Boubaker Zakhama. "He has recovered consciousness.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"He will leave hospital within 48 hours. He can travel on a normal flight as he does not need medical assistance."
A Reuters reporter saw Shinozuka in bed, apparently enjoying a deep sleep with regular breathing and moving his feet and hands from time to time.
Japan's ambassador to Tunisia, Noritakae Kai, also visited his country's most successful rally driver at the clinic.
Shinozuka's Nissan pick-up hit a sand dune and rolled for several meters halfway through Thursday's 727km stage between Ghat and Sabha in Libya.
Critically injured
He and his French co-driver Thierry Delli-Zotti were taken to the rally center in Sabha where a doctor declared Shinozuka's life was in danger as the Japanese went into a a coma. Delli-Zotti, who suffered fractures in both legs, was described as satisfactory.
The pair were later flown to Tunis-Carthage airport along with six other injured competitors.
The mood among the other injured in the clinic improved dramatically yesterday morning with the news that Shinozuka was out of danger.
They laughed and joked and 38-year-old Delli-Zotti, who had been competing in his 16th Dakar rally, waved a "V" for victory sign for a photographer.
"Only co-pilots suffer accidents," joked another French co-driver, Philippe Rey.
Rey, who suffered fractures in his right hand, said all the injured apart from Shinozuka expected to leave for Paris later yesterday.
Another doctor, who did not wish to be named, said rally organizers wanted the Japanese to leave today, but the clinic preferred him to stay longer.
Long-term prospects
Shinozuka, who won the Dakar Rally in 1997 and with Delli-Zotti finished third last year, has been involved in rallying since 1967.
His victory in the 1991 Ivory Coast Rally was the first world championship win by a Japanese driver and he repeated the feat the next year.
Shinozuka was a factory driver for Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1971 until June 2002 when he resigned rather than stop driving and take the management role he had been offered.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS