Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, a three-time Olympic bronze medalist, suffered a crash during big air training for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Games. The incident occurred on Wednesday night, leading to McMorris being taken off the course on a stretcher. This mishap took place as the 32-year-old athlete was preparing for the qualifying round scheduled for the following night, just before the opening ceremony.
The Canadian Olympic Committee issued a statement confirming the accident, stating, “Snowboarder Mark McMorris had a heavy crash this evening during big air training. Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Snowboard staff are attending to him. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
In the big air event, participants execute multiple spins after launching from a ramp that stands over 50 meters tall in Livigno and is constructed on scaffolding. McMorris, known for his accomplishments in slopestyle and big air, has captured all his Olympic medals and the majority of his X Games titles in slopestyle. The addition of big air to the Olympic program in 2018 saw him clinch four X Games gold medals in this discipline.
In 2017, McMorris faced severe injuries following a collision with a tree during a backcountry snowboarding session, which necessitated the insertion of a rod in his leg, a plate in his arm, and another in his jaw. Despite enduring multiple injuries over the years, McMorris had expressed confidence in his physical condition leading up to his participation in the Winter Olympics as he entered his thirties. He emphasized the importance of maintaining strength and conditioning to support the demands snowboarding places on the body.
A photo captured McMorris’s crash during the big air training session, highlighting the risks and challenges faced by athletes in this high-flying sport.
