Gruesome incident at the Olympics: Polish short track skater suffers bloody accident
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
A terrifying accident occurred during the women's 1500-meter short track quarterfinal at the Olympic Games.
Details: Polish speed skater Kamila Selje took a nasty fall, sliding awkwardly across the ice and right into the path of American skater Kristen Santos-Griswold’s blade. The rear edge of Santos-Griswold’s skate struck Selje’s face, just below her left eye. The race was immediately halted.
The situation on the ice looked dire: Selje began bleeding profusely. Medical staff rushed to her aid, shielding the scene from cameras and spectators with a white tent for several minutes. The athlete was carried off the rink on a stretcher to a round of applause from the stands. Despite the severity of the moment, Kamila managed to give a thumbs-up, signaling that she was conscious.
Later, Polish officials were quick to reassure the public: the athlete’s eye was unharmed. The wound was stitched up right at the arena’s medical station, after which Selje was taken to the hospital for further examination. A clear trail of blood remained on the rink and had to be cleaned up before the competition could resume.
It’s worth noting that the final result was disappointing for both athletes involved in the collision: both Kamila Selje and Kristen Santos-Griswold were disqualified, as the judges ruled there were mutual pushes immediately before the fall. Olympic gold in this event later went to South Korean star Kim Gil Li, with silver for her compatriot Choi Min Jeong, and bronze for American Corinne Stoddard.
Reminder: The Olympic Games 2026 medal table can be found here.
