A Northern Ireland runner on the Isle of Man TT was left with two black eyes after hitting a pigeon flying low at about 200 mph, with video footage revealing the horrifying moment in graphic detail.
Paul Jordan, 30, is competing in his fourth TT this year after debuting in 2017, and is widely regarded as one of the emerging talents on the grid to watch over the next few years.
The Magherafelt native celebrated his inaugural podium on Wednesday after finishing third in the Supertwin TT race, finishing behind dominant Peter Hickman and runner-up Lee Johnston after a late retirement from leader Michael Dunlop.
Jordan’s success was even more welcome as he started the week in his visor when he struck a bird on the Sulby Straight, the fastest section of the entire 37.73-mile TT route, leaving him with facial injuries and unpleasant sequelae. during the rest of the lap.
“It’s been a hell of a week, and that’s just the end of the story,” Jordan said after Wednesday’s podium victory.
“I was going down Sulby Straight and a bird thought it would be a great idea to bump into me, it crashed into my face and I took it off. I went down Sulby Straight with a lot of gut bird inside, my mouth, a bloody nose, a bust lip and everything else.
“I was left behind by another competitor. He perched on the bird and the bird went straight through my helmet visor, and now I’m left with two glitters.”