Scottish short track speed skater Kathryn Thomson has withdrawn from the Winter Olympic Games on ‘medical grounds’.
Kilmarnock star Thomson, 26, competed in the 500m and 1,000m in Beijing but has pulled out of her final 1,500m event after undergoing a series of tests on Wednesday.
Thomson was the only female representative in Britain’s three-strong short track team alongside brothers Farrell and Niall Treacy.
The Scot competed at PyeongChang 2018 four years ago and has endured a rocky ride during the last Games cycle, taking a year away from the sport to focus on her mental wellbeing and get her career back on track.
A promising year on the World Cup circuit – including a 500m personal best in Holland and a fifth-place finish in Japan – helped her book her place in the Chinese capital but after failing to progress past either of her 500m and 1,000m heats, Thomson will now be departing Beijing early.
The details behind Thomson’s medical-enforced withdrawal remain unclear but speaking on social media, she said: “Sport can be tough sometimes.
“I won’t be racing my last distance here in Beijing.
“I’m very grateful for the team around me and I’d like to thank you all for the support.”
Thomson is a 2014 European silver medallist and was Team GB’s most experienced short track campaigner in Beijing.
But a crash after fewer than 15 seconds in her 500m heat followed by a failure to progress in the 1,000m extended Britain’s rotten luck on the Olympic ice.
Farrell Treacy, 26, reached the 1,500m final but both him and brother Niall, 21, both also went out in the heats of their 1,000m events.
At just 26, Thomson could look to target the Games in Milano Cortina in four years’ time but remains unsure about her Olympic aspirations.
Speaking ahead of Beijing 2022, she said: “These past four years have been very bumpy for many different reasons.
“Last season I took the whole season out of sport - I stayed home and focused on other things off the ice.
“My base level of fitness, my robustness around injury and a little bit of mental health - overall wellness.
“From a mental point of view, it was a huge breath of fresh air.
“It was a very focused year off – I had clear goals and there were different things I wanted to work on so I made sure I was still very disciplined so that my comeback wasn’t as difficult.
“It was a huge concern and multiple times during the year off I did doubt myself. But I just thought I need to trust the process - it’s what I needed at the time so I had to listen to my body and my mind.
“I haven’t made my mind up yet (about carrying on). But I do feel like I’ve got some unfinished business and I would like to be in Milan (at the 2026 Olympics).
“Ultimately, I’ll need to make that decision based on how Beijing goes.”
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