An emotional Elise Christie has admitted her “heart is shattered" by the prospect of missing the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Speed skater Christie, 31, was targeting a fourth Olympic appearance in China next February, and with it a chance to finally land the medal that has painfully eluded her throughout her career.
She first competed on the grand stage in Vancouver in 2010 but it was in Sochi four years later where she endured agony after arriving with high hopes of a medal in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m events.
However, she was subsequently disqualified in all three events, and was duly pilloried on social media, leading to calls for the British Olympic Association to improve the policing of comments made on athletes' Twitter and Facebook accounts.
In 2018, she set two Olympic records en route to the 500m final, only to crash out when her hand was clipped by a fellow skater, and then again had to endure being disqualified in the 1000m and 1500m heats after being deemed responsible for collisions.
And now her hopes of redemption have seemingly been dashed after an injury-plagued World Cup season, where a serious ankle injury has hampered her form.
Team GB are yet to name their squad for Beijing, but the 10-time European champion took to Twitter to seemingly accept the inevitable.
She posted a picture of her tearfully hugging fellow Olympic hopeful Kathryn Thomson, alongside the line: “There's a lot to say, but for now, this photo speaks what I cannot say. The ankle injury I sustained set me back too far. My heart is shattered. So much love to all my supporters and fans. I’ll be back soon. X”
Her news prompted sympathy from her 41,000 followers, with @Rob_Smith1990 saying "We love you Elise Christie, you've done so much for raising awareness of mental health and of course, SpeedSkating. Your'e a true l egend!"
@RobNorwood6 added "We know you well enough to know how hard you would have tried to be fit and how much this must hurt. Everyone will be sending you love and we know you'll be back soon."
Back in September, Christie, who was diagnosed with depression following the 2018 games, was quoted as saying that an appearance at the 2022 Olympics would mark her retirement from her career at “elite professional level."
