Australian Field Hockey Star Amputates Finger to Play at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Matt Dawson has decided to remove his finger to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Australian field hockey player injured a finger on his right hand two weeks ago during a team training in Perth. The surgery and recovery would have taken months, meaning he would not play at the Paris Olympics. His decision to amputate his finger was to enable him to compete at the Olympics.

I am definitely closer to the end of my career than the start and, who knows, this could be my last Olympics, and if I felt that I could still perform at my best then that’s what I was going to do. If taking the top of my finger was the price I had to pay, that’s what I would do.

Matt Dawson

Dawson said that he fainted after seeing his finger in the changing, and thought this was the end of his olympic dream. He consulted a plastic surgeon who told him undergoing surgery to repair the finger would take time to recover. However, with amputation, he would be back in the field in 10 days. The 30-year-old decision shocked his team captain and fellow players, but they supported it.

We didn’t really know what to think, and then we heard that he went to the hospital and chopped his finger off, which was pretty interesting because I know people would give an arm and a leg and even a little bit of finger to be here sometimes. When you’ve spent a lifetime of choice and sacrifice to come and compete at the highest level, I think for him it was an easy decision.

Aran Zalewski - team captain

On Saturday, Matt will join the Kookaburras as they play against Argentina. This will mark 16 days since he was injured. Colin Batch, Kookaburras coach said Dawson had joined the team for training earlier this week.

Full marks to Matt. Obviously, he’s committed to playing in Paris. I'm not sure I would have done it, but he's done it, so great.

Colin Batch - Coach

This was not his first serious injury. The hockey player faced another extreme injury when he almost lost his eye after he was hit by a hockey stick during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Even after the injury, he managed to play for his team and they took home gold in the tournament. They also won a silver medal during the Tokyo Olympics.