U.S. alpine skier Nina O'Brien suffers leg fractures after horrific crash at Olympics
American alpine skier Nina O'Brien suffered multiple leg fractures after she crashed during the giant slalom event at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Monday, the U.S. ski and snowboard team said in a statement.
Considered the top American alpine racer after Mikaela Shiffrin disqualified, O'Brien was going fast on the final turn when she slipped and hurt her left leg, not far from the finish line. She was carried off the course on a stretcher. Video showed fellow skiers in disbelief following the crash.
The U.S. ski and snowboard team's Twitter account posted an updated statement on O'Brien's injury late Monday, saying she sustained a compound fracture of her left tibia and fibula. She was taken to a hospital in Yanqing, China, where an initial stabilization procedure was successfully performed by local doctors, according to the team. She will return to the U.S. for further evaluation and care.
"Nina would like to express her gratitude to all of the people who assisted her so quickly in the finish area at the race, and especially to the doctors and nurses at the hospital who have taken such great care of her," the team said.
Following the crash, the team said that O'Brien was worried about "delaying the race" and wanted to know "how fast she was skiing"
Shiffrin posted a message on Twitter, saying the team was "heartbroken for Nina."
"It's just sooo not even close to fair," she wrote. "The warrior that she is, she will get back stronger and speedier than ever, with the same upbeat and kind attitude that is trademark Nina. But tonight we're all just sad and crossing our fingers for the best news possible."
Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, tweeted, "Our thoughts are with you Nina."
There have already been multiple crashes in the Beijing Olympics, raising questions over the host's decision to use nearly 100% artificial snow for the Winter Games. Apart from its environmental impact, the decision has been criticized by some athletes, including retired British freestyle skier Laura Donaldson who called it "dangerous."
Team USA has yet to claim a gold medal in the Winter Games so far, as of Monday afternoon Eastern Time.
