Snowboarder Mark McMorris Injury, Status Update After Crash, Hospitalization at Winter Olympics

Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris withdrew from Thursday's big air qualifying event after he was hospitalized following a crash during training on Wednesday.

"I hit my head and will not be able to compete in big air tonight, unfortunately," McMorris said.

However, McMorris is aiming to return for the slopestyle event on Feb. 16. "Just trying to stay positive and focus on that event," McMorris said. "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."

Eddie Pells and Lindsey Wasson of the Associated Press reported on Wednesday that McMorris was training for the big air competition ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics when he crashed. 

They explained that the big air competition sees "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 previously competed for Canada in the 2014 Sochi Games, 2018 PyeongChang Games and 2022 Beijing Games. He captured the bronze medal in the men's slopestyle competition in each of his previous three Olympic appearances while also competing in the big air contest in his most recent two.

The 32-year-old is also a 12-time X Games medalist, eight of which came in slopestyle and four of which came in big air.

According to Pells and Wasson, McMorris has a rod in his leg, plate in his arm and plate in his jaw from previous injuries that included a "life-threatening" 2017 crash into a tree.

The men's snowboard big air qualification for the 2026 Games is scheduled to begin Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET.