October 30, 2006:
RUSSIA’S 800m metres Olympic champion, Yury Borzakovsky, is suffering from depression after killing a pedestrian in a car accident, it was reported here overnight.
Russia newspaper Trud said the pedestrian died earlier this month after being hit by Borzakovsky’s car on a dark road in the Moscow region.
Borzakovsky, a nationl hero after his Athens win, sustained a hand injury in the crash.
“It’s difficult to say anything about his sporting future. His hand has not yet healed and psychologically he is very depressed,” Borzakovsky’s coach, Vyacheslav Yevstratov, told Trud.
He said it is not clear whether Borzakovsky will take part in a planned training trip next month.
Borzakovsky will not face charges in connection with the accident, as the pedestrian was found to be drunk, Trud reported, citing an unnamed police official.
“The question of criminal responsibility of the driver was not even raised,” said Yevstratov.
Borzakovsky’s mother-in-law, Vera Andreyevna, said he has not said anything about his plans, Trud reported.
“He has disappeared into himself. He is not talking very much at all, even with those close to him,” she said.
Borzakovsky captivated the public with a stunning victory in the 800 metres at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, when he came from behind with a brilliant sprint finish to grab the country’s first gold medal in the event.
Agence France-Presse