Unlucky Elise disqualified again
GANGNEUNG: British speed skater Elise Christie suffered fresh Olympic heartache yesterday when she took second place in her 1,000m heat after a wipeout, only to be hit with yet another disqualification.
The 27-year-old short track star displayed real grit just to make the race after completing a remarkable return from injury following a weekend smash in the 1,500m semi-finals.
Dubbed Briton’s unluckiest Olympian, Elise only made it a few metres in the third qualifier when she went flying out after clipping the blades of Hungarian rival Andrea Keszler.
Sliding into the side padding she looked to be in pain, but to encouraging cheers from the crowd she picked herself up, had her blades checked and lined up for the restart of the race.
The world champion showed no ill effects from the accident, finishing second to Dutch skater Lara van Ruijven.
But the judges dished out two yellow cards, demoting her to last of the four racers, with Pole Magdalena Warakomska inheriting her second place and with it qualification to tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
The Briton is the reigning world champion in the 1,000m, 1,500m and holds the overall title.
But she has been plagued by misfortune at the Olympics.
Elise also crashed in the women’s 500m final in Pyeongchang.
And at the 2014 Sochi Games, she went home empty-handed after being penalised in all three of her events.