CNN —In the run up to the Paris Olympics, athletes have been stepping up their preparations in order to maintain their edge over competitors. But for Australia’s Matt Dawson, those preparations looked a little different this year, with the field hockey player opting to have part of his finger amputated in order to compete in the Games. The impact left the top of his finger almost entirely severed and had his Olympic dreams hanging in the balance. Dawson says he is "fortunate to have as much finger as possible" following the accident. Will Russell/Getty Images“It has obviously given the best chance and best opportunity to play here.

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Persons: Matt Dawson, Dawson, ”, ’ ”, Lucky, Will Russell, ” Dawson, “ Organizations: CNN, Paris Olympics, Games, CNN Sport, Olympics, Tokyo, Olympic Games Locations: Paris, Argentina, Tokyo