THE Jamaica bobsleigh team's preparation for coming international competitions received a setback after an accident in Lillehammer, Norway recently forced the team to return home earlier than expected.The accident, which took place on a practice run, left 22-year-old Mark Hill with extensive injuries to his face, stomach and hands.
The former Cornwall College, Violet Kickers and Jamaica Under-23 forward received 150 stitches to close a wound which stretched almost all the way across his forehead in an operation that lasted nearly three hours in a Norwegian hospital.
Hill said the two-man team was "coming out of turn six and getting ready for turn seven when the sled tilted on the left runners, hit a swerve and over-turned". He was thrown from the sled and slid on the ice for about 100 metres before coming to a stop.
The impact "peeled the skin off (his) forehead", broke his nose and opened a three-inch gash on his upper lip. He also suffered burns on his stomach and parts of his hands.
Because the more serious injuries were to his face and because he did not feel any pain or discomfort right after the spill, Hill said he was fully conscious but could not tell how bad his injuries were and none of his teammate or medical personnel who rushed to the scene said anything to him, except to rush him into an ambulance and to the hospital.
Hill said he was in the hospital for 2 1/2 days during which time he underwent a series of tests to determine if there were any other injuries to his brain, neck and spinal column.
President of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation, Christian Stokes said the accident was part of the reason the team had to return home five weeks early.
Another was the delay in funding from one of their sponsors.
"Staying in Europe is a very costly venture," Stokes said while also pointing out they were hopeful of returning early in the new year to resume training.
