Polish speed skater Kamila Sellier struck in face by blade in Winter Olympics collision

The 25-year-old was stretchered off after a facial injury in the Olympic short-track quarter-final

A Polish short-track speed skater was taken to hospital after suffering a facial injury during a dramatic collision at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday night.

Kamila Sellier was struck in the face by the blade of a rival’s skate around two minutes into the final quarter-final of the women’s 1,500m event. The 25-year-old fell to the ice along with two other competitors after an attempted overtake went wrong.

Sellier received immediate medical attention trackside before being stretchered off. According to Poland’s team officials, she sustained a deep cut to her cheek that required stitches and may have suffered a cheekbone fracture due to significant swelling around the eye area.

man, this Kamila Sellier crash was straight up terrifying to watch. Short track speed skating is already insane with those razor sharp blades flying at 40+ km/h in tight packs, but seeing a blade slice right across her face like that 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bfuglT91UI

— Brain Bite (@grokmen321) February 21, 2026

“Her cheek has been cut, but it has already been stitched, and most likely the cheekbone is also damaged. It may be broken, because there is significant swelling,” said team head Konrad Niedźwiedzki. “The eye is very swollen for now, so it’s hard to say. Let’s hope the skate didn’t go in any deeper.”

Despite the severity of the incident, Sellier was conscious and responsive as she left the rink, waving to the stands to signal that she was okay. She was accompanied to hospital by the Polish team’s lead doctor for further examination.

The crash occurred as Sellier and American skater Kristen Santos-Griswold attempted to pass Italy’s Arianna Fontana. All three athletes fell in the tangle.

Following a review, race officials disqualified both Sellier and Santos-Griswold, ruling that their overtaking attempt came too late under competition rules.

Further updates on Sellier’s condition are expected after hospital assessments are completed.