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Canadian Olympic big air snowboarder Mark McMorris was forced to drop out of the event after he suffered a hard crash during practice at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games on Wednesday.
McMorris had won a gold medal in the big air competition at the 2021 World Championships and was expected to contend for a podium spot at this year’s Winter Olympics. But the tough spill caused him to be taken off the slopes on a stretcher and landed him briefly in the hospital.
“I hit my head and will not be able to compete in big air tonight, unfortunately,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.
McMorris added that he will be ready to go for the slopestyle event, which begins on Feb. 16. He has three Olympic bronze medals in the event.
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“Just trying to stay positive and focus on that event. 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.”
Canadian Snowboard official Brendan Matthews said McMorris was released from the hospital quickly. He said it was standard protocol to be taken off on a stretcher.
“It always looks scary when somebody takes a hard fall like that, but all things considered, it’s good news,” Matthews said.
Australia’s Val Guseli is set to replace McMorris in big air. He usually competes in the halfpipe competition.
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He won a silver medal in the halfpipe at the 2023 World Championships and picked up a bronze medal in the 2023 Winter X Games at the SuperPipe competition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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