GB Olympic high jump medallist Germaine Mason dies in motorcycle crash

Updated 20/04/2017 at 17:35 GMT

Retired Great Britain athlete Germaine Mason has died at the age of 34 following a motorcycle crash in Jamaica, according to a report.

Germaine Mason

Image credit: Getty Images

The Jamaica-born high jumper switched allegiances to Team GB in 2006 and went on to win silver in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Mason lost control of his motorbike and crashed while heading to Kingston, the Jamaica Gleaner reports.

The website also states that several athletes, including Usain Bolt, arrived on the scene upon hearing of the devastating news.

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Jamaican journalist Abka Fitz-Henley sent out a series of tweets reporting the story, claiming Mason was “involved in a crash at 4:20am after leaving a party”.

School friend and sprint medallist Michael Frater told Reuters he went to the scene after hearing about the accident, and waited there until an ambulance arrived.

“I’m just devastated at the news, he was a friend from high school days ... still can’t believe this,” said Frater, who once shared an apartment with Jamaican-born Mason in Kingston.

As the news emerged, the Prime Minister of Jamaica – Andrew Holness – tweeted his condolences.

With additional reporting from Reuters

Athletics