Winter Olympics star’s terrifying chat with his doctor after throat cut by skate

Australian speed skater Brendan Corey is competing at the Winter Olympics after surviving a freak accident during the World Championships that sliced his throat

Winter Olympics speed skater Brendan Corey sustained an injury typically linked to horrific car accidents when his throat was slashed open during a shocking mishap.

The Canadian-born Australian star was competing in a 1,000m quarter-final at the World Championships in Beijing when the incident unfolded. China’s Liu Shaoang was losing his balance and caught Corey’s neck with his blade as he tumbled to the ice headfirst.

The Melbourne-based athlete pursued Liu across the rink, grasping at his throat, before he smashed into a barrier at the side of the ice rink. Corey has now looked back on what happened to him.

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He told Wide World of Sports: “In the moment, it was quite scary. I basically lay with my hand tightly pressed against my neck until I was in the hospital.”

Following his emergency dash to the hospital for medical attention, doctors discovered that Corey had suffered two cuts and a fractured thyroid cartilage, commonly referred to as the Adam’s apple. While six stitches were fortunately sufficient to address the wound, a medic back in his home country revealed just how fortunate Corey had been regarding where the gashes occurred.

The Winter Olympian went on: “He said the only other time he’s seen that injury is in car crashes when someone hits their neck on the steering wheel. But then they end up dead anyway from the crash.

“He couldn’t believe what had happened when he saw the photos and the X-rays and whatnot.

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“Personally, I’d never seen that sort of injury happen before. It was really a freak incident because the blades aren’t typically going up that high.

“My competitor made a pretty big mistake on his own. It was a tight pack there towards the end of the race, and I found myself in the wrong place at that moment.”

During his path to recovery, Corey said he was unable to speak for approximately three weeks – and had to switch to a specialised liquid diet because of the fracture. Yet that didn’t mean the diet eased any discomfort, with the 29-year-old explaining that it would take him roughly an hour to consume a glass of juice whilst enduring excruciating pain.

Corey is competing for Australia in the 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m short-track speed skating events at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games following his full physical and mental recovery. Before the Winter Olympics, he said: “I’d say I’m recovered from it now.

“We all have blades strapped to our feet. It’s not something I even think about anymore when I’m skating.

“When I get on the ice for a race, I’m fully focused on the race and not dwelling on; ‘Oh, am I going to get cut in the neck again’? I would say this injury has made me stronger as a person. It’s been tough.”