A German cycling coach has apologised after admitting to using racist language while supporting a rider in the men’s Olympic time trial in Fuji on Wednesday.
Sports director Patrick Moster was caught on camera using derogatory language when urging Nikias Arndt to try to catch Eritrean rider Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Algeria’s Azzedine Lagab on the road, with the comments clearly audible on German station ARD’s broadcast of the race.
Commentator Florian Nass, who was working for the German media outlet at the time of the incident, was left stunned, branding the comments ‘totally wrong’. ‘Words fail me,’ he added.
‘If I heard that correctly he said ‘get the camel drivers!’ Something like that has no place in sport. This is absolutely underground. Sorry, I can’t think of anything…that is unworthy.’
Former rider Moster, who is 54 and has been in his current role since 2012, appeared in the mixed zone at the Fuji Speedway to apologise for his actions.
‘I was in the feed zone and cheered on Nikias Arndt,’ Moster told reporters. ‘In the heat of the moment and with the overall burden that we have here at the moment, my choice of words was wrong. I am sorry, I’m so sorry, I can only sincerely apologise. I didn’t mean to discredit anyone.’
It is understood Moster attempted to visit the Algerian team in the paddock to apologise directly, but the team had already left.
A statement from the German Olympic Federation said: ‘Team Germany represents Olympic values like respect, fair play and tolerance throughout the competitions and beyond.
‘It is important that Moster apologised while the race was still on. Nonetheless we will discuss the matter with him directly.’
The event, meanwhile, ended in disappointment for Team GB medal hopeful Geraint Thomas who finished in a 12th positon and later claimed that people had ‘stuck the knife in’.
Thomas had previously rued his luck after an unfortunate crash cost him a chance of a medal in last weekend’s road race, having suffered similar bad luck in the Tour de France earlier this month.
‘It’s just been a really hard five weeks,’ he said. ‘It’s been one thing after the next. A few people always love to stick the knife in as well when it’s not going great.
‘You just try and stay strong, keep going, keep putting your hat in the ring. It didn’t really work this time, maybe next year.’
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