Laura Kenny crashes in World Track Championships omnium

Britain’s Laura Kenny needed stitches after crashing in the opening race of the omnium at the Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin.

Kenny, a two-time Olympic and world omnium champion who is riding with a broken right shoulder, was involved in a five-rider crash with a lap to go.

British Cycling confirmed she was safe to continue in the event in the German capital after a concussion check.

Mexico’s Lizbeth Salazar was carried off on a stretcher after the crash.

The Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild, defending world champion in the event, was relegated for causing the crash after finishing the 7.5km scratch race second.

Kenny finished eighth in the second event of the omnium – the tempo race – putting her 16th at the halfway stage.

Four-time Olympic champion Kenny broke her shoulder riding the tempo race of the omnium at the World Cup in Milton, Canada, on 26 January.

The 27-year-old opted against surgery in order to continue her Tokyo 2020 preparations at the World Championships.

She hopes to ride in three events at the Olympics – the omnium, team pursuit and the madison.

Kenny won women’s team pursuit silver on Thursday after riding in the first round. She had previously said she would not ride the discipline because of her injury.

Stewart 12th in points race

Britain’s only other competitor on Friday, Mark Stewart, finished 12th in a points race won by New Zealand’s Corbin Strong.

Stewart, who is the reigning Commonwealth Games points race champion and won world bronze in the event in 2018, won the second sprint. The points race does not form part of the Olympic track cycling programme.

Victory for Strong – who lapped the rest of the field – came just a day after the 19-year-old also won team pursuit silver.

“I was really focused for today and really wanted it after team pursuit,” he told BBC Sport. “To do it in my second year in elite is really special.”