Kamila Sellier Remains Under Care After Frightening Olympic Short‑Track Crash; U.S. Skater Disqualified

Kamila Sellier is recovering in hospital after a dramatic crash during the 1500‑metre short‑track quarterfinals at the Winter Olympics. The incident prompted immediate medical intervention and the disqualification of the U. S. competitor involved.

Development details: Kamila Sellier

The 25‑year‑old fell in the quarterfinal on the 1500 m course and, in the chaos, a rival's skate blade sliced her cheek and eyelid, damaging the zygomatic bone. Medical staff stitched the wound at the Forum di Milano arena to stop the bleeding, then sent her for a computed tomography scan that revealed a small fracture of the cheekbone.

After initial treatment at the track, Sellier underwent a surgical procedure described as reopening the wound because of pronounced swelling of the eye. She spent the first post‑accident night in hospital and remains under specialist care; doctors plan to keep her in the facility for further diagnostics through Monday, when a decision on subsequent treatment will be made.

Context and escalation

Sellier lost contact with the ice during a hard fight for position and inadvertently clipped Italy's Arianna Fontana while competing in the quarterfinal heat. At that moment, the United States skater Kristen Santos‑Griswold delivered an accidental cut with her blade to Sellier's eye area. Referees judged the action a foul and immediately disqualified Santos‑Griswold from the race.

What makes this notable is the speed of both the medical and disciplinary responses: arena doctors placed the first stitches on site, and judges enforced an immediate exclusion, signaling the seriousness of the contact and its consequences for athlete safety.

Immediate impact

The injury forced Sellier out of competition and triggered multiple clinical interventions within hours. She was given stitches at the venue, underwent CT imaging that showed a slight fracture, and then a surgical procedure to address swelling and repair the injured area. Polish mission doctor Hubert Krysztofiak visited her in hospital to monitor progress.

Officials from the Polish Olympic delegation provided updates on her condition: a spokeswoman noted that she slept through the night despite pain, and Konrad Niedźwiedzki, the sport director who is also head of the Polish mission, said the bone was set during surgery, wounds were cleaned, and tests of eyeball mobility were planned. The immediate consequence for competition was the elimination of the U. S. skater involved, removing her from the event standing.

Forward outlook

Sellier will remain in the medical facility until Monday for continued diagnostic work and to determine the next medical steps. Confirmed actions on the short‑term schedule include tests of eye mobility and further specialist assessments; a definitive treatment plan will be announced after those examinations conclude.

Officials will review the medical results and make treatment decisions that will dictate whether Sellier can return to competition or will require a longer recovery period. The swift disciplinary action already taken underscores that race officials treated the incident as sufficiently severe to warrant immediate exclusion of the offending athlete.