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Tsubota's injury 'nothing we have to be overly concerned about'

Whistler's Yuki Tusbota competes in Tuesday's women's ski slopestyle final, during which she was injured in a scary crash.
Eric MacKenzie
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Whistler's Yuki Tusbota competes in Tuesday's women's ski slopestyle final, during which she was injured in a scary crash. Photo courtesy of Canadian Olympic Committee

As the rest of the country celebrated Dara Howell and Kim Lamarre’s medals in slopestyle skiing on Tuesday, the Sea to Sky corridor was filled with concern for Yuki Tsubota.

The Whistler skier had an ugly crash on the final jump of her last run in Tuesday’s final, landing on the knuckle when trying to put a 900 to her feet. Her knee came up and made impact with her chin, and a scary moment ensued as medical teams attended to her on course before taking her away in a stretcher.

Few details have emerged about her condition, but the CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association told media at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park that she had suffered a fractured jaw but was otherwise OK.
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“The initial assessment is that there is an injury to her jaw,” said Peter Judge. “There’s nothing other than that. She didn’t have a concussion, so she’s clear.

“She’s in a good frame of mind. Nothing we have to be overly concerned about.”

Tsubota’s first-run score was enough to put her sixth in the sport’s Olympic debut.

Deteriorating course conditions on Tuesday made it difficult for skiers to find the speed they needed as the final progressed. Tsubota, who turned 20 last week, was one of just a handful of skiers who opted to take the large jump options instead of the smaller kickers.
Meanwhile, the ski community has been sending her plenty of messages of support while awaiting more information on her status: