Rio Olympics 2016: Team GB’s Ellie Downie has major scare as she sickeningly falls on her neck during floor routine… before bravely getting up for vault

TEAM GB‘s young gymnast Ellie Downie suffered a sickening fall on her neck on Sunday evening.

The teenager, 17, was competing in the all-around gymnastics routine and had safely navigated the bars and beam, before the freak accident.

Downie – competing in her first Olympics Games in Rio – was in the middle of the floor portion of her routine when it occurred.

The Nottingham-born prodigy – a powerful tumbler in previous outings – was attempting a somersault at the time, failing to rotate he body all the way round, before landing awkwardly on her head and neck.

Brit star Downie immediately got to her feet in a bid to bravely soldier on, but understandably – and safely – refused to tackle her final tumble.

After the horrendous incident, Downie claimed she heard a crack in her neck, before feeling dizzy.

She said: “I crunched my neck.

“It sounds pretty gross but I just felt dizzy before my last tumble.”

Brave Downie had team-mates and coaches rush to her aid, before being helped out of the arena in a wheelchair, before returning to compete in the vault portion of her event.

What’s more, she landed both of her attempts well, despite suffering a shock fall just minutes earlier.

On being escorted out of the gym, Downie said: “They put me in a wheelchair and I was like, ‘I don’t need a wheelchair’.

“I was better than I thought so I came back out and vaulted.”

Incredibly, the courageous Downie’s heroics helped Team GB into third place in the overall rankings, guaranteeing them a place in Tuesday’s eight-team final.