UK Athletics fined £394,000 over death of Paralympic athlete Hayayei

UK Athletics has been ordered to pay £394,000 (approximately €455,000) after being found culpable in the death of Paralympic shot put and javelin thrower Abdullah Hayayei. The athlete, who represented the United Arab Emirates at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, died in July 2017 when a section of a metal cage collapsed onto his head while he was training at the Newham Leisure Centre in East London.

The incident occurred during high winds, which caused the structure to fall. Hayayei was fatally injured by the falling debris. A court at the Central Criminal Court of England mandated the payment, which includes £350,000 in compensation and £44,000 for costs.

UK Athletics issued a statement expressing deep regret for the incident and its impact on those affected. "This case should never have happened, and UK Athletics deeply regrets what occurred and the impact it has had on all those affected," the organization said. They emphasized that significant changes have since been implemented to enhance safety management, governance, and event operations across the sport.

Keith Davies, formerly the head of the 2017 London Paralympic Championships, also received a sentence of 175 hours of unpaid work for an offense under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The organization's statement concluded that while the past cannot be undone, there is a strong commitment to establishing more robust standards.

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This case should never have happened, and UK Athletics deeply regrets what occurred and the impact it has had on all those affected. Since then, substantial changes have been made to strengthen the way safety management, governance and event operations are managed across the sport. While nothing can undo what happened, there has been a determined focus on ensuring that stronger standards are put in place.