Team GB's Katie Ormerod out of Winter Olympics with fractured heel
Thursday 8 February 2018 23:41, UK
Katie Ormerod has been ruled out of the Winter Olympics after suffering a severely fractured right heel during training, the British Olympic Association has announced.
The 20-year-old snowboarder was due to be one of Britain's leading medal hopes in South Korea, and was supposed to compete in both the slopestyle and big air events.
Ormerod will undergo emergency surgery on Friday morning.
"Yesterday sucked," Ormerod wrote on Instagram, alongside pictures of her in her hospital bed. "After dreaming of competing at the Olympics for years, I finally got there and received the most bad luck I've ever had!
"After breaking my wrist on the first training day I was determined to still train, compete and do my best but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.
"I severely broke my heel into 2 pieces so having surgery in a couple of hours to get it fixed," she added. "Words cannot describe how gutted I am but thank you to everyone for all your support and kind words!!
"Also a massive good luck to my teammates competing this weekend...you guys better kill it!"
Team GB chef de mission Mike Hay said: "We are deeply sorry for Katie and her fellow snowboarders who have lost a valued member of their close-knit team.
"She is a world class competitor across both disciplines and we are desperately disappointed for her.
"From everyone at Team GB we wish her all the best for her recovery."
