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Chinese snowboarder Liu Jiayu took a serious fall during an Olympic qualifying run Wednesday.
Competition at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics was briefly suspended while Liu remained largely motionless on her back in the snow at the bottom of the halfpipe. The toe edge of Liu’s snowboard appeared to get caught in the snow, sending her slamming, face-first, into the bottom of the halfpipe.
An emergency sled was used to remove the 33-year-old from the area for further evaluation. Liu was able to avoid major injuries to her spine, The Associated Press reported, citing sources with knowledge of the professional snowboarder’s medical report.
It is believed that Liu maintained consciousness after the scary fall.
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Liu was trying to finish her second and final qualifying run with a 900-degree spin. After she slammed into the halfpipe, her legs and board snapped over her back, a wreck known in snowboarding as a “scorpion.”
Riders wear protective gear, including helmets, during competitions. Despite the precautions, dangerous crashes remain a strong — and sometimes life-threatening — possibility. If the head or neck is impacted during a fall, the risk of serious injury rises sharply.
Former world champion freestyle skier Dave Murray died in 1990 after suffering serious injuries in a halfpipe crash in Utah. In 2010, Kevin Pearce sustained brain injuries while training for the Vancouver Olympics.
Earlier this week, Australian snowboard cross racer Cam Bolton was hospitalized. Representatives for Bolton confirmed he was dealing with multiple stable neck fractures.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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