Speed skater Denny Morrison says stroke adds 'whole new dimension of obstacles' to recovery

Canadian Olympian Denny Morrison, speaking for the first time since his stroke, says he will be "very cautious" in his recovery in the coming weeks.

The four-time Olympic medallist suffered a stroke in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 23, shortly after he had started to compete again after being injured in a motorcycle crash less than a year earlier.

"The stroke adds a whole new dimension of obstacles and patience, to have to wait and reset all of the steps that I've been looking forward to taking, to getting back to speed skating," Morrison said at a news conference in Calgary on Tuesday.

Just one week after his release from hospital, the 30-year-old long track speed skater appeared upbeat, smiling and joking as he spoke to reporters in an uncomfortably warm room.

At one point, he stopped to wipe the sweat off his brow and reassured those present that "sweating is not one of the symptoms of stroke."

But Morrison could not hide his frustration at the setback the stroke poses for his hopes of competing at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics in South Korea. 

"Now I don't even have clearance to ride my bicycle," said Morrison.

"It feels like a certain amount of freedom of mobility has been taken away from me."

Warning signs included partial blindness

Morrison said he experienced partial blindness in his left eye on five different occasions for up to 30 minutes before the stroke became fully apparent.

After the stroke, Morrison said he was at first unable to speak and experienced facial drooping on his left side.

Morrison said he is doing "a lot better" now, adding that his strength and co-ordination seem fine. 

Doctors have advised him to take it easy over the next six to eight weeks. They will re-evaluate his situation at the three-month mark. 

In the meantime, Morrison said his first priority is take every step possible to prevent another stroke from occurring.

"All I can do is do the best that I can to let my body recover and to do the things necessary so that I don't have another stroke," he said.

"There's still two years to the next Olympics, more or less, and I think that's a very reasonable amount of time."

On May 7, 2015, Morrison collided with a left-turning car while riding his motorcycle.

He broke his left femur, punctured a lung, tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), fractured a bone near his spine, bruised his liver and kidneys and suffered a concussion.

Morrison had shown signs of a strong recovery.

In mid-March of this year, Morrison raced for the first time since that accident at the Canada Cup Olympic Oval Finale in Calgary.