Brain injury rower Anna Thornton fit to return from US

Anna Thornton was hurt in the fall last month

A British rower who was left in a coma when she fell down stairs in the US is set to return home to the UK this week.

Anna Thornton, 21, from Nottingham, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the fall on 4 November in Seattle.

A fundraising page has been set up by her family to help with further treatment and rehabilitation, which British Rowing said was "expected to be a long process".

She is stable enough to come home, but is still believed to be in a coma.

Miss Thornton has won five World Championship medals for Great Britain at junior and under-23 levels.

She is currently in her third year of studying public health at the University of Washington, where she is also part of the women's rowing team.

Anna Thornton has won five World Championship medals for GB at junior and under-23 levels

Mark Cooke, from Nottingham Rowing Club, said: "We are extremely pleased to hear that she will be back soon."

He added they believed she was still in a coma and there was "a long way to go before we know if there will be any lasting damage".

The University of Washington Rowing Club said on Facebook: "While her condition is very serious, she has been receiving excellent medical care locally with her family and teammates at her side.

"If you know anything about Anna, you know that she is an amazing friend and teammate who is as compassionate as she is competitive.

"She's a two-time Under-23 World Champion, NCAA Champion and member of Great Britain's national team, but you'd never know if you met her out of uniform.

"Always humble and witty, her infectious wry sense of humour has endeared her to every member of this team."

Anna Thornton won back-to-back World Championship golds in 2017 and 2018