Austrian snowboarder Markus Schairer’s quest for Olympic gold was cut short when he broke his neck in a horrible fall during the men’s snowboard cross quarterfinals Thursday.
As he descended from a jump, Schairer’s board started to tilt upward and as he came closer to the ground, he landed with all momentum on his back. In a slow-motion video, his head snaps back and hits the ground before the goggles fly off from his mask and he lies for a few moments on the ground. Somehow, he returned to his feet and finished the heat.
Böser Sturz von Markus #Schairer im #Snowboard Boardercross. Halswirbelbruch, aber Ärzte befürchten keine Folgeschäden #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/iaptkStpYW
— Lukas Zahrer (@ZahrerLukas) February 15, 2018
Schairer was examined shortly after at a hospital, where the Austrian Olympic committee ruled that he broke the fifth cervical vertebra in his neck. Luckily, he suffered no neurological issues.
At the time of the crash, Schairer, 30, was in fourth place. He will be taken back to Austria for medical treatment “as soon as possible,” according to the committee.
He is listed in stable condition.
https://nypost.com/2018/02/15/snowboarder-breaks-his-neck-in-terrifying-crash-at-olympics/