Top woman in Iditarod forced out after concussion and other injuries
by Guardian sport and agencies from on (#5F4TR)
- Aliy Zirkle forced out after two days following injuries on trail
- Only 47 mushers have entered this year's race amid pandemic
- Zirkle, 50, finished as runner-up in 2012, 2013 and 2014 races
The top woman competing in Alaska's Iditarod sled dog race, Aliy Zirkle, has been forced out of the contest after suffering a concussion and other injuries on the trail two days into the event, organizers said on Tuesday.
Details of the mishap were scarce in the immediate aftermath. But Zirkle, a fan favorite and perennial contender who was competing in her final Iditarod, was evacuated from the trail at Rohn, a checkpoint 183 miles into the race, and sent to an Anchorage hospital for medical treatment, organizers said.
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