Gold medal winning NZ mountain biker Sam Gaze says the decision to pull the finger at countryman Anton Cooper during yesterday's Commonwealth Games race "was probably the worst one of his life."
The 22-year-old Gaze suffered a puncture during the penultimate lap and accused Cooper of poor sportsmanship for passing him while also gesturing aggressively towards Cooper in pit lane.
Today the gold medallist reiterated his apology to Cooper, adding that it was his decision alone to apologise and he hadn't been leaned on by officials to do so.
"It was a stressful moment for me in the race, in my head I thought it was gone, with all those emotions you make a heat of the moment decision and you have to live with that," he said.
"I experienced how pressure brings out the best and the worst in people, in the heat of the moment I made a decision that was probably the worst one in my life and I have to live with that."
Gaze wanted to thank Cooper for accepting his apology, with the pair chatting in what appeared to be amicable fashion following their media obligations today.
"Anton has been very respectful after my actions yesterday and I have nothing but thanks for that."
Cooper said he would give Gaze "the benefit of the doubt" but warned him that a repeat in future will make his apology meaningless.
"It's probably good you’re asking me now; I’ve had to bite my tongue yesterday for sure," Cooper said when asked about Gaze.
"I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that it’s sincere.
"You don’t want to see it happen to often because suddenly the apologies don’t mean as much."
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