The Polish speed skater who had her eye slashed by a rival’s blade at the Winter Olympics has undergone emergency facial surgery after being rushed to hospital.
Kamila Sellier was stretchered from the ice with her face covered in blood after a horrifying accident shown live on TV during the women’s 1500m at the Milan-Cortina Games.
And a further health update has now been issued, with Sellier herself sharing a selfie and a statement from her hospital bed after her surgery.
‘I know that one day I’ll look at this picture and remember that I’m stronger than I ever believed,’ she wrote, alongside a photo of the left side of her face – cropping out her wound on the right side.
‘Thank you for all your words of support, just wanted to let you know that I’m doing quite okay.’
Hours earlier, Poland’s Olympic Committee president Konrad Niedzwiecki had told Eurosport: ‘Kamila underwent surgery to repair the damaged bone, everything was cleaned.
WARNING: THE BELOW VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT
Poland’s Kamila Sellier was left covered in blood after a rival’s blade sliced her above her eye
Sellier reassured fans on Saturday morning with a selfie from her hospital bed in Milan
‘She woke up this morning with significant swelling, she didn’t sleep much last night.
‘According to what the head of the medical mission, Dr. Hubert Krysztofiak, told me this evening, she will undergo eye movement tests today.
‘Yesterday, the eye passed the first tests, and that was the most important thing for us.’
It seems as though Sellier has avoided the worst-case scenario, with many fearing that she could have suffered sight loss in the wake of the near-disastrous accident during the race.
The terrifying crash at the Milano Ice Skating Arena occurred when Sellier crashed with 15-time Olympic medalist Ariana Fontana of Italy and Team USA’s Kristen Santos-Griswold.
Sellier went down along with Ariana Fontana of Italy and American Kristen Santos-Griswold
The Polish athlete was soon put on a stretcher and wheeled out of the arena in Milan, Italy
The race was paused as medics rushed on to the ice to treat Sellier, with a large white sheet blocking her from the view of fans who had packed into the arena to see the final night of short-track speedskating.
The Polish athlete was soon put on a stretcher and wheeled out of the arena. She gave a thumbs-up to the crowd as she was taken away, leaving a trail of blood in the final corner of the track that workers had to clean up during the break.
Santos-Griswold, meanwhile, was penalized for an illegal lane pass that contributed to the accident. That kept her from advancing through the quarterfinal round.
