Hockey Star Amputates finger before Olympics

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Australian field hockey player Matt Dawson chose to amputate part of his finger to compete in the Paris Olympics.

Two weeks ago, during a training session in Perth, Dawson severely broke a finger on his right hand. The 30-year-old realised that surgery to repair it would take months, possibly ending his Olympic dream.

Faced with this dilemma, Dawson decided to have his finger removed from the knuckle up, shocking his teammates and coach. He will play with the Kookaburras against Argentina on Saturday, just 16 days after his injury.

Dawson recounted how he fainted upon seeing his injury, initially thinking his chance to play in the Olympics was over. After consulting with a plastic surgeon, he learned that surgery might not restore full function, but amputation could get him back in 10 days. Despite his wife’s concerns, Dawson made the decision that same afternoon.

“I’m closer to the end of my career, and this could be my last Olympics. If I felt I could still perform, I would do it,” Dawson explained on the Parlez Vous Hockey podcast. His teammates, though shocked, supported his decision. Team captain Aran Zalewski remarked, “People would give an arm and a leg to be here.”

Kookaburras coach Colin Batch praised Dawson’s commitment, saying, “I’m not sure I would have done it, but he’s done it, so great.”

Dawson has faced extreme injuries before, nearly losing an eye before the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Despite that, he played and helped his team win gold, and later a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

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