ROSA KHUTOR, Russia, February 16 (R-Sport) – American snowboarder Jacqueline Hernandez was stretchered off the course in Sochi on Sunday after a crash that seemed to leave her briefly unconscious.
Hernandez landed with her board side-on off a jump and was catapulted forwards, striking her head and back on the packed snow of the landing ramp.
She was carried off the course by rescue workers, appearing to regain consciousness and speak with medical staff while on the stretcher. Hernandez was competing in individual seeding runs, which sort athletes into groups for quarterfinals later in the day.
Also out of the competition with injury is Norwegian medal contender Helene Olafsen, who is "being taken to the hospital with a knee injury" after landing short on a jump, a team spokesman said.
The two accidents came a day after Russian skier Maria Komissarova sustained a broken back in an accident on the same course, which athletes have said is among the fastest they've seen.
Komissarova underwent a six-and-a-half-hour operation Saturday and is now in a critical but stable condition in hospital, Russian officials have said.
Updates with detail of injury to Olafsen.
