Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, a three-time Olympic bronze medalist, announced on Friday that he has recovered from a recent concussion and has been given the green light by doctors to participate in the men’s slopestyle competition at the Milano-Cortina Games.
McMorris was forced to skip the big air event after sustaining a head injury during a practice run on February 4. The Regina native disclosed that he suffered a concussion, bruising at the top of his pelvis, and strained abdominal muscles.
Following a training session on Friday, McMorris expressed feeling significantly better and appreciative of the more than one week he had to recuperate from the fall.
“I had a great time today. It’s wonderful to familiarize myself with the course in such ideal weather,” McMorris remarked under the sunny skies in the Alpine town of Livigno. “It’s much easier to connect with a course when the weather is this nice.”
The men’s slopestyle competition is set to kick off on Monday. McMorris has clinched all three of his bronze medals in this event – in Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018, and Beijing 2022.
The 32-year-old athlete has encountered various injuries throughout his career, including a 2017 accident where he suffered a broken jaw, left arm, ruptured spleen, pelvic fracture, rib fractures, and collapsed lung.
“I have certainly had to rebuild myself after some challenging injuries,” McMorris shared. “I strive to maintain a positive outlook and have faith in my snowboarding skills, and that’s my plan moving forward.”