Superbike rider killed in crash during qualifying in Northern Ireland

A motorbike rider has been killed during qualifying for the prestigious North West 200 (NW200) Superbike annual race in Northern Ireland.

A competitor “has died following an incident at Station corner on the NW200 course during this morning’s Superbike qualifying session,” said a statement from the race organisers, Coleraine and District Motor Club.

“The session was immediately red-flagged, and emergency services attended the scene but, unfortunately, the rider succumbed to his injuries,” it said.

The victim’s family requested that the rider is not named, but gave their approval for the event – which finishes on Saturday – to continue, the statement added.

The on-course incident is the 20th fatality associated with the event, and the first since 2016, when Malachi Mitchell-Thomas died in a Supertwins race.

The North West 200 is over nine miles (15 kilometres) of closed public roads around Northern Ireland’s north coast through the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush.

It has been running since 1929, attracting tens of thousands of fans to the British province.

The course is renowned for its high-speed straights, but also its tight chicanes and unpredictable coastal weather.