(Reuters) – Three-times Madison world champion Amy Pieters has regained consciousness after being put into an induced coma following a crash during training in Spain in December, her team SD Worx said on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Dutchwoman was put into a coma after doctors performed surgery to relieve pressure on her brain following the accident in Alicante, Spain on Dec. 23.
Pieters was transported to a hospital in the Netherlands in January. Doctors said on Thursday that although her condition had improved slightly, they were still unsure about the long-term impact of her brain injury.
“She can communicate slightly non-verbally,” SD Worx said in a statement https://www.teamsdworx.com/en/news/update-amy-pieters-there-is-consciousness-now. “Amy recognizes people, understands what is being said and is able to carry out more and more assignments.
“Doctors cannot yet say what residual symptoms and remaining abilities Amy will have as a result of the brain injury.”
Pieters won the Madison at the World Championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021 alongside Kirsten Wild. She missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo last year, finishing fourth.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
