LIVIGNO, Italy — Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris withdrew from Thursday night’s big air qualifier at the Milan Cortina Olympics less than 24 hours after a hard crash that resulted in a brief trip to the hospital.
«I hit my head and will not be able to compete in big air tonight, unfortunately,» McMorris posted on Instagram, adding that he would be ready to go for the slopestyle contest, which starts Feb. 16.
«Just trying to stay positive and focus on that event,» McMorris added. «Huge thanks to the incredible medical staff who took great care of me and to everyone who reached out with so much love and support.»
McMorris, 32, is one of Canada’s biggest Olympic stars whose three Games bronze medals all came in slopestyle. He also has a record 22 X Games medals, 12 of them gold (eight slopestyle, four big air).
Taking McMorris’ spot on the start list is Val Guseli, normally a halfpipe rider who competes for Australia.
Canadian Snowboard official Brendan Matthews, who witnessed the spill, said McMorris was released from the hospital «right away» after being taken off the hill on a stretcher Wednesday night. Matthews called it standard protocol to load a rider onto a stretcher after an accident.
«It’s always looks scary when somebody takes a hard fall like that, but all things considered, it’s good news,» Matthews said.
In big air, riders do four, five or more spins after taking off from a ramp that, in Livigno, is more than 50 meters (165 feet) tall and built on scaffolding.
McMorris told his Instagram followers that he appreciated the outpouring of concern since news of his accident surfaced.
«I haven’t been on my phone much but the messages do not go unnoticed,» he said.
