Nina O’Brien suffers broken leg in Olympic crash
Nina O’Brien sustained a compound fracture of her left tibia and fibula after crashing in the second run of the giant slalom just short of the finish. She was taken off the hill in a toboggan and received initial care and a stabilization procedure at the hospital in Yanqing. She will continue her care in the U.S.
O’Brien was the top American after the first run of the giant slalom in sixth place. She was looking to avoid missing a gate towards the end of her second run, but was not quite successful. She was immediately cared for in the finish arena before being taken to the hospital.
“I keep replaying it in my head, wishing I’d skied those last few gates differently,” O’Brien posted to social media shortly after the announcement. “But here we are. I had surgery last night to stabilize my tibia, which unfortunately was an open fracture through my leg. I’ll get the rest fixed at home, but for now I’m in great hands. I want to say thank you to everyone who’s taken care of me, especially those who rushed to me in the finish and my doctors and nurses in Yanqing.
“I’m a little heartbroken, but also feeling so much love,” she added. “Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. My phone is flooded with messages, and waking up to your words means more than you know. The good news is that today is a new day – and I get to cheer on my teammates. Good luck to everyone competing and enjoy it.”
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