Another day, another great story out of Sochi (by great I mean terrible, although the constant stream of bad news is providing an amazing amount of entertainment to all of us watching at home, so if you view it in a utilitarian light, great perhaps is the proper phrase).
The Sochi Slopestyle course, which is the above photo, was deemed to steep and dangerous, and is in the process of being altered before the games. But officials are only revamping it because people keep getting hurt. I imagine the scene there as something like this.
Here’s what happened, via The Moscow Times (which has already been liquidated for reporting this news).
[Norwegian snowboarder Torstein] Horgmo, a strong medal contender, was treated in a hospital after crashing Monday while attempting a difficult trick on a rail near the top of the course. Team manager Thomas Harstad said the 26-year-old Horgmo landed heavily on his face and right shoulder. The Norwegian media later reported Horgmo had fractured his collarbone and was likely to be ruled out of the Olympics.
And that’s not the only injury. American hopeful Shaun White also hurt his wrist on the course
Shaun White saw the glassy sheen of the super-steep takeoff and knew something bad was coming. He fell and jammed his left wrist — adding another nagging injury to his long list of bumps and bruises while also entering his name on the growing list of athletes falling victim to a treacherous Olympic slopestyle course.
Of course, Olympic officials are downplaying this.
International ski federation official Roberto Moresi, the assistant snowboard race director at Sochi, said organizers had responded to feedback from the athletes and were trimming some jumps at the top of the course “in order to make it more smooth.” Moresi said the course was not a factor in Horgmo’s crash, saying it happened because “he was just trying a really hard trick.”
That’s some mighty fine victim-blaming there, Sochi.
This is going to be a great two weeks.
[Image via ESPN]