Elise Christie leaves ice on stretcher after second crash of Winter Olympic Games

DJ Dunson
·2 min read
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No athlete has had more rotten Olympic luck than British short track speedskater Elise Christie. After getting disqualified three times at the Sochi Olympics, Christie crashed for the second time in Pyeongchang during the 1,500 meter semifinals.

Rounding a corner and sitting in second place, Christie tried to cut off Chinese speedskater Li Jinyu as she tried to pass. Her maneuver resulted in a collision with Li and and slid on her back into the boards. To add insult to injury, Christie was also given a penalty, ending her quest to medal in the 1,500 meter competition while Li was advanced.

Christie, 27, also crashed out of the 500 meter finals when a rival skater clipped the arm she was balancing herself with their leg. A visibly distraught Christie was removed from the Gangneung Ice Arena on a stretcher and transported to a hospital. Christie is still slated to skate in the 1,000 meters competition, but her participation in that event may be in doubt.

Elise Christie of Britain crashes during her women’s 1500 meters short track speedskating semifinal in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Elise Christie of Britain crashes during her women’s 1500 meters short track speedskating semifinal in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

“I saw her being carried off and a doctor is also in the ambulance with her but it’s too early to tell, we’ve got to give them a chance to scan and see,” Great Britain’s sports chief Mike Hay told The Independent. “It’s tough but right now it doesn’t really matter about the race or whatever, it’s really her health we’re concerned about and the scan will tell us.”

Despite being a medalist in World Championships and setting an Olympic record during the 500 m qualification, Christie has never won a gold medal and may leave Pyeongchang empty-handed depending on her condition.

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DJ Dunson is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at dunsnchecksin@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or Facebook.

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