Podladtchikov's season comes to an early end

2014 Olympic halfpipe champion Iouri Podladtchikov, who had just earned snowboard halfpipe Silver at the Sierra Nevada 2017 Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships has suffered a severe injury in his right knee.

The injury occurred during the night finals of the world championships snowboard halfpipe event when the Russia-born Swiss pro fell hard on his knee and head in his third of three runs
performing an alley oop double rodeo at his final hit to bump off leading rider Scotty James of the top spot.

While he spoke of a middle hard injury after the competition, iPod got proven wrong when he underwent MRI back in Switzerland to check the real extent of the lesion.

And the diagnosis was shocking as the 28-year-old had toren his ACL for the first time in his career.

“I gave it everything I could in this competition, and that was the right attitude. There is always a risk to get injured, being a sportsman you have to except this,” he said.

“There is a reason for this injury as there is one for everything. I will subordinating everything to my preparation for the next Olympics. I'm already grateful for all the empathy and nice words, and I'm looking forward to be back together with my team.”

In fact, Podladtchikov has good chances to be back in time for the final stretch in the lead-up to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games where he is aiming to become the second ever rider to defend an Olympic halfpipe title.

“If someone makes it in time, then it's Iouri,” explained Head Coach Pepe Regazzi and Swiss Snowboard Sport Director Sacha Giger unisono.