Australian hockey star cuts off finger so he can play at Paris Olympics
- Matt Dawson, silver medallist in Tokyo, was left with extraordinary choice after breaking his ring finger
Australian field hockey player Matt Dawson has gone to extraordinary lengths to compete at the Paris Olympics, amputating part of a finger to ensure he will be fit for his third Games.
The 30-year-old, a silver medallist at the Tokyo Games, was a doubt for Paris after recently breaking the ring finger on his right hand.
Doctors gave him a choice of amputating part of his finger or letting it recover. Only one way would ensure he got to Paris.
“I didn’t have much time to make the decision,” he told Australian broadcaster Seven Network. “I made the decision then I called my wife and she said, ‘I don’t want you to make a rash decision’.
“But I guess I had all the information I needed to make a decision for not only playing in Paris, but for life after and giving myself the best health.”
The Seven Network showed footage of Dawson wearing a protective black guard over his finger.