Polish Skater Sellier Injured in Olympic Short-Track Collision

In a dramatic incident during the final night of short-track speedskating at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Polish athlete Kamila Sellier was stretchered off the ice Friday night after a competitor's blade sliced her above the left eye in the women's 1500-meter quarterfinals at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

The accident occurred in the sixth quarterfinal heat with 13 laps remaining, as Sellier fell during a tight turn alongside American skater Kristen Santos-Griswold and Italy's Ariana Fontana. Santos-Griswold's skate caught Sellier high on the face, causing a cut that left a trail of blood on the track's final corner. All three skaters went down in the collision, which officials attributed in part to Santos-Griswold's illegal lane pass. The race was immediately halted for several minutes while medical staff rushed to Sellier's aid, using a large white sheet to shield her from the packed crowd.

Emergency personnel immobilized Sellier on a stretcher and wheeled her out of the arena, where she received stitches for the facial wound. Polish officials reported that her eye sustained no serious damage, though she was taken to a hospital for further tests. As she departed,...