A frightening incident occurred during the short track speed skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Poland’s Kamila Sellier was struck in the face by the blade of a competitor’s skate.
The accident took place during the sixth quarterfinal of the women’s 1,500m event on Friday, February 20, 2026, at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
Sellier, 25, was competing alongside Italy’s Ariana Fontana and American Kristen Santos-Griswold when she lost her balance and fell.
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As she fell, Sellier was directly in the path of Santos-Griswold, and the edge of her skate made contact with Sellier’s face, shattering her protective eyewear.
Sellier immediately began bleeding, and the race was temporarily halted. Santos-Griswold was disqualified for an illegal pass that contributed to the collision.
Despite the injury, Sellier remained conscious and was carefully stretchered off the ice. The race resumed, with Antoinette Rijpma de Jong of the Netherlands ultimately claiming victory.
Another look at the horrible Kamila Sellier speed skating accident. When it is slowed down like this you can see how close it was to leaving her partially blinded. pic.twitter.com/cefobBcW7V
— USA NEWS 🇺🇸 (@usanewshq) February 20, 2026
According to Marca, Sellier received stitches to her cheek and was transported to a local hospital for a CT scan. The scan revealed a minor fracture requiring surgery.
The injury initially raised concerns about potential damage to her eye, but Sellier is reportedly recovering well following the procedure. She is now able to get out of bed and is being cared for by her parents.
(bay/aff)
