NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Speed skater Kamila Sellier suffered a cut above her left eye after another competitor’s blade hit her during the 1,500 meters on Friday at the Cortina Olympics in Milan.
The Polish athlete was on the short course when she fell behind American skater Kristen Santos-Griswold, whose blade caught Sellier close to her eye.
Both Santos-Griswold and Sellier slipped across the ice and crashed into the wall, but Sellier lay motionless as medics rushed to her side.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Kamila Sellier of Poland is helped after falling during a short track speed skating women’s 1500 meters quarterfinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Newsroom)
The bloody scene was covered by other staff.
She was eventually immobilized on a stretcher but gave a thumbs up as she was wheeled away.
Polish officials said Sellier’s eye was OK. She received stitches at the arena before being taken to a hospital for more tests.
Sellier posted a selfie on Instagram, hiding the left side of her face, and said she was “doing pretty okay.”
Italy’s Arianna Fontana (L) and Poland’s Kamila Sellier fall while competing in the short track speed skating women’s 1500m quarter-final during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 20, 2026. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)
TEAM USA TO FIGHT CANADA FOR OLYMPIC GOLD AFTER DOMINANT PERFORMANCE AGAINST SLOVAKIA
“I know one day I’ll look at this picture and remember I’m stronger than I ever thought. Thanks for all your words of support, just wanted to let you know I’m totally fine,” Sellier wrote.
Santos-Griswold was penalized for attempting an illegal pass that contributed to the crash.
The 25-year-old was fighting for his first Olympic medal after taking home silver and bronze at last year’s world championships in Beijing.
Poland’s Kamila Sellier is shielded by a white sheet as she receives treatment after a fall during the quarter-finals of the women’s 1500m short track speed skating at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. (Jasper Jacobs/ Belga Mag via Getty Images)
The Polish speed skating team is awaiting word on whether there have been “signs of damage” to her eye, according to the BBC.
