The Olympian who was left bleeding after a terrifying crash in last night’s speed skating has shared a photo from her hospital bed after suffering a facial cut on the ice.
Poland’s Kamila Sellier was skating with the leading group in the Women’s 1500m speed skating quarter-final on Friday evening when a prohibited manoeuvre by another racer led to a skate blade striking her in the face.
The contact came from Team USA’s Kristen Santos-Griswold as Sellier’s glasses were knocked away and she was sent tumbling. Italy’s 14-time Olympic medallist Arianna Fontana was also taken down in the incident.
Spectators at the Milano Ice Skating Arena and viewers watching from home quickly realised the injury was serious. Officials hurried onto the ice and held up white sheets while medical staff attended to Sellier out of public view.
She was then taken to hospital, where she is believed to have undergone surgery and received stitches. Despite the setback, Sellier has since tried to stay positive.
In a post shared to Instagram, the 25-year-old uploaded a smiling photo from her hospital bed, framed so only the uninjured side of her face could be seen.
The caption on the post, which was written in both Polish and English, said: “I know that one day I’ll look at this picture and remember that I’m stronger than I ever believed.
“Thank you for all your words of support, just wanted to let you know that I’m doing quite okay.”
Sellier did not add further detail about the move that caused the collision or the treatment she has received since leaving the rink. However, a spokesperson for the Polish skating team provided an update on Saturday morning.
They said the skater “has a cut on her cheek” and noted it was “stitched up immediately.”
The spokesperson also indicated there may be additional damage, saying: “From what I saw, most likely her eyelid is also cut, half of it.”
Polish skating chief Konrad Niedźwiedzki also spoke about the uncertainty surrounding the injury, due to swelling, saying: “There is considerable swelling, so it’s hard to say at this point what else happened inside.
“I hope these are only superficial wounds, but we have to wait for the test results from the hospital. … There’s a huge, large, not to cause panic, large swelling, so it is possible that this is related to the fact that the zygomatic bones has been damaged or broken.”
Santos-Griswold, 31, has since been penalised for the illegal pass, meaning she will not advance to the semi-finals. The Sun reports she appeared to fight back tears after being told of the decision.