Olympic speedskater takes blade to face, stretchered off in frightening moment

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Speedskater Kamila Sellier suffered a cut above her left eye after another competitor's blade struck her during the 1,500 meters on Friday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The Polish athlete was on the short track when she fell behind American skater Kristen Santos-Griswold, whose blade caught Sellier near her eye.

Both Santos-Griswold and Sellier slid across the ice and crashed into the wall, but Sellier lay motionless as medics rushed to her side. 

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The bloody scene was covered up by other staff.

She was eventually immobilized on a stretcher but gave a thumbs-up as she was wheeled away.

Polish officials said Sellier’s eye was OK. She received stitches at the arena before being taken to a hospital for more tests.

Sellier posted a selfie on Instagram, hiding the left side of her face, saying she was "doing quite okay."

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"I know that one day i’ll look at this picture and remember that i’m stronger than i ever believed. Thank you for all your words of support, just wanted to let you know that i’m doing quite okay," Sellier wrote.

Santos-Griswold was penalized for attempting an illegal pass that contributed to the crash.

The 25-year-old was vying for her first Olympic medal after taking home a silver and bronze in last year's World Championships in Beijing.

The Polish speedskating team is awaiting word on whether there have been "any signs of damage" to her eye, according to the BBC.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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