Polish skater has facial surgery after short track crash

Polish short track speed skater Kamila Sellier has undergone surgery after she was struck in the face by a blade in a serious crash at Milan-Cortina 2026.

Sellier was racing in the quarter-finals of the women’s 1500m on the final night of short track competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

She was brought down along with 14-time Olympic medallist Arianna Fontana of Italy and American Kristen Santos-Griswold, who was penalised for attempting an illegal pass that contributed to the crash.

As Santos-Griswold fell, her skate caught Sellier and sliced her under her left eye.

Polish officials said Sellier received stitches at the arena before being taken to hospital for surgery.

A spokesperson for the Polish team told BBC Sport on Saturday morning: “Kamila had surgery last night. She’s in good condition. We’re waiting for further tests today, to check her eye for any signs of damage.”

Fontana’s skinsuit was nicked and she received some help from her physiotherapist on her left hip during the pause. She progressed through to the final but finished fifth, missing out on a third medal of her home Games.