MILAN: During Friday night’s women’s 1,500 meter competition at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Kamila Sellier, a Polish short track speed skater was taken off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital after sustaining a deep cut close to her left eye in a collision.
As the pack grew closer to a corner in the quarterfinals, Sellier, Arianna Fontana of Italy and Kristen Santos Griswold of the United States were eliminated.
Santos Griswold tangled with Sellier during an overtake and the American’s skate blade struck her in the face.
A large white sheet was held up to protect Sellier from the crowd as officials halted the race and medical personnel treated her on the track.
Before being sent for additional testing, she was sutured at the arena, Polish officials subsequently declared her eye to be in good condition.
Later, as she was wheeled out, Sellier gave a thumbs up a small gesture that caused the stunned arena to erupt in cheers.
Before racing could resume, workers had to clean the ice due to the impact’s blood trail across the last turn.
The short track program’s final night included a quarterfinal and the stoppage caused the session to pause for a few minutes.
Santos Griswold did not proceed after receiving a penalty for an unlawful lane pass.
Despite managing stiffness after the fall, Fontana said she was “really happy with these Olympics“ after making it to five finals and adding three medals earlier in the Games.
The night did not end at the finish line for Sellier, who was competing in her first Olympics but rather in the medical room.
The incident served as a sobering reminder of the dangers of short track, where competitors compete at high speeds in close quarters and blades have the potential to cause severe injuries in an instant.
