Austrian Snowboarder Breaks His Neck at Olympics

An Austrian snowboarder crashed and broke his neck during the quarterfinals round of the PyeongChang Olympics, but “doctors have ruled out serious permanent damage,” per a statement from the Austrian Olympic committee. Markus Schairer was competing in the quarterfinal race in snowboard cross when he landed on his “upper back and neck on the course's final jump,” breaking his “fifth cervical vertebrae.” Despite the fall, Schairer got up and finished the race. There were “no early signs of neurological impairment or long-term damage,” according to the Olympic committee. Schairer also suffered injuries in the 2010 X Games and a 2013 race.