Sad news for one member of Team GB at the Sochi Winter Games, as it's been confirmed that British freestyle skier Rowan Cheshire won’t be racing after being concussed.
The 18 year old was knocked unconscious when she hit her face (OUCH) on the half-pipe at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park while practicing for her event. And it looks more than painful judging by the Instagram picture of her all bloody-faced and recuperating (what are we meant to call it when people Instagram themselves injured, like Alexa Chung, Rihanna and Justin Bieber? Illstagram? Oh, yes, we like that. Let’s call it Illstagram). Rowan has since been discharged from hospital, but the International Ski Federation recommends that any skier who suffers a concussion should wait six days before going out on the slopes/half-pipe again.
While Team GB officials were hoping Rowan could compete as late as possible, it’s not happened, and today they said she won’t be in the event. ‘With a concussion injury, there needs to be a rest period followed by a graduated return to play phase’ Niall Elliott – Team GB’s chief medical officer – tells The Guardian. ‘The time scale is unfortunately too tight for Rowan.’
Luckily for Rowan, if there's any silver lining to this horrible snowcloud, she is just 18 (the second youngest competitor from Team GB) so she'll only be 22 when the next Winter Games rolls around.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.