UK Athletics charged with manslaughter over death of Paralympian

· BBC Sport
Abdullah Hayayei made his Paralympic debut in 2016Image source, Getty Images

UK Athletics has been charged with manslaughter over the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei.

Hayayei died aged 36 after a metal cage fell on him while training at Newham Leisure Centre, London in July 2017.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has charged UK Athletics Limited with "corporate manslaughter and a health and safety at work act offence".

Keith Davies, the head of sport for the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships, has also been charged with "gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety at work act offence".

UK Athletics and Davies, 77, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 31 January.

Hayayei was training for the World Championships in London at the time of the incident.

The United Arab Emirates thrower had been set to compete in the F34 shot put, discus and javelin events.

Hayayei, a father of five, finished sixth in the javelin and seventh in the shot put when making his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016.

London 2017 was due to be his second appearance at a World Championships. At the 2015 event in Doha, Qatar, Hayayei finished fifth in the discus and eighth in the shot put.

A moment of silence was held in honour of Hayayei during the opening ceremony of the World Championships at London Stadium.

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