Bangor snowboarder Maisie Potter‘s dream of representing Team GB at The 2018 Winter Olympics, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is over after she broke her heel in training.
Maisie, 20, was just one ‘good run’ away from qualifying for Team GB, which would have been her first games in only her second season at the top tier of racing.
Maisie said: “I had a season ending injury on Tuesday the 14th December, on the first day on the course at the World Cup in Val Thorens, France, I came up short on the final jump and crashed hard. The result was a broken heel – could have been better but could have been a lot worse!
“I was in a lot of pain, however, all I could think about amidst all the panic and adrenaline was whether I would be at the top in time to do the qualification. When the medics told me they were taking me to the medical centre, I asked “How long will that take?!”
The accident happened just 60 days before the Olympics and Maisie hoped the injury wouldn’t be too severe, allowing her time to recover and still qualify for a Team GB Olympic place, but a scan confirmed Maisie’s worst fears, her heel was broken and she needed surgery.
Maisie said: “I’m pretty gutted to say the least, it’s the risk that comes with my sport and has its extreme highs and lows. I will focus on recovering and come back stronger.”
