The Norwegian slopestyle snowboarder Torstein Horgmo, who had been a Sochi Winter Olympic gold medal favourite, has been ruled out of the Games after suffering a spectacular training crash on a course widely condemned as too dangerous.
The 26-year-old crashed on the slopestyle run's rail feature and was taken to hospital with his neck in a brace.
Horgmo suffered a broken collarbone and was pulled from the Games.
The accident follows widespread criticism from competitors over safety standards.
Yesterday Australia's defending Olympic halfpipe champion Torah Bright expressed concerns over claims that leading experts in course construction were not being employed to oversee the work.
However New Zealand's head coach Tom Willmott says New Zealand's best men's hope, Jossi Wells, is pleased with the course.
Competition starts on Thursday night.
