Snowboard star Katie forced out of Games
ORMEROD BREAKS HEEL ...24 HOURS AFTER WRIST
British medal hope Katie Ormerod is out of the Winter Olympics after fracturing her heel in training.
the 20-year- old snowboarder, who became the first Briton to win World Cup gold in the slopestyle last year, fractured her wrist on Wednesday but was desperate to compete in the Games, which start today, and returned to training 24 hours later.
however, the British Olympic Association said she will have ‘emergency surgery’ this morning after injuring her heel yesterday.
Dan hunt, performance director for British ski and snowboard, said: ‘ We are desperately disappointed. Katie was in strong form. her determined nature will see her come back from this.’
in Ormerod’s absence, British hopes fall even more heavily on defending skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold. team GB’s flagbearer aims to be the first Brit to successfully defend a Winter gold, but said yesterday she will give russian rivals the cold shoulder if their bans are overturned.
the disgraced nation are bidding to force another 47 athletes and staff into the Games against the wishes of the international Olympic Committee. the Court of Arbitration for sport will make their 11th-hour judgement this morning after a series of legal challenges.
if those athletes are controversially allowed to join 168 other russians in Pyeongchang, Elena NikitiNikitina, ththe 2014 bbronze winner, and Maria Orlova would be added to the skeleton field hours before the opening ceremony.
Nikitina and Orlova were implicated in allegations of statesponsored doping in russia and Yarnold says she would blank them if they make it to the start line.
she said: ‘i enjoyed having conversations with Elena and Maria but now whenever i see them i will look at the floor and carry on.
‘it is difficult if the russians will be here competing.’