Doctors said Matt Dawson's injury will take four to six months to heal, meaning he will miss the summer's games, or he could have his finger amputated and still play. Dawson chose the latter.
Friday 26 July 2024 17:59 UK
A hockey player chose to have part of his finger amputated in order to compete in the Paris Olympics.
Australian player Matt Dawson, 30, was hit with a hockey stick during training in Perth two weeks ago and suffered severely broken fingers on his right hand.
The impact almost completely severed the tip of his finger, putting his Olympic dreams in jeopardy.
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Doctors said his injury will take four to six months to heal, meaning he will miss games. This summer's French tournament.
Or, an athlete may be able to compete even if they have lost a finger.
Dawson, playing in defence for Australia, chose the latter.
Surgeons removed about an inch of tissue from the tip of his right ring finger, just below the top knuckle.
He said that after speaking with the surgeon about the amputation, he called his wife, who warned him not to make a “rash decision.”
“I had all the information I needed to make a decision in a very short period of time and I decided to go ahead and have the surgery anyway, and it just means I can live a much more fulfilling life just by having to worry a little less about my finger,” Dawson told the Parlez Vous Hockey podcast.
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Dawson is currently in Paris competing in his third Olympic Games with Kookaburra.
The Australian men's hockey team will face Argentina at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in Paris on Saturday.
