BAKU: Tears flowed at the European Games on Monday when twins Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri dedicated their silver medal to Austrian teammate Vanessa Sahinovic who is in a coma in hospital in Vienna after being run over by a bus on the eve of the Games in Baku.

Sahinovic, 15, was placed in an artificial coma after being flown back from Baku and undergoing a lengthy operation last Thursday. Another of her synchronised swimming teammate, Luna Pjaer, broke her arm in the incident and also returned to Vienna whilst a third Verena Breit suffered bruising but stayed on in the Azeri capital. Sahinovic has spinal, hip and thigh injuries and is expected to undergo further operations. “This is for Vanessa,” said the Alexandri sisters brandishing the silver medals after the synchronised swimming duets competition.

The 17-year-old sisters, along with their triplet and team reserve Vasiliki-Pagona — the eldest by a minute — burst into tears and hugged their coaches after moving up from third to second in the final part of the programme. The medal justified their decision to not pull out of the competition following the accident after it had been discussed by the team and coaches.