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Just Days from the Olympic Stage, Disaster Strikes — Winter Snowboarder Breaks His Neck in a Brutal Training Crash That No One Saw Coming

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Australian snowboarder Cam Bolton was airlifted to the hospital after breaking his neck while training for the 2026 Winter Olympics

Australian snowboarder Cam Bolton’s Olympic dreams appear to be over after he broke his neck during training.

Bolton, 35, fell “heavily” in a snowboard training session in Livigno, Italy, on Monday, Feb. 9, while practicing for the 2026 Winter Olympics, U.K. outlet The Independent and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The athlete, who was competing in his fourth Winter Olympics, initially walked away from the fall seemingly unscathed. The next day, he woke up with severe pain in his neck, according to the outlets.

Scans revealed that Bolton fractured his neck in two places. He was then transported from the mountain by helicopter to a facility in Milan for further treatment of his injuries, per The Independent and ABC.

Cameron Bolton of Australia reacts following a Snowboard cross training run at the Livigno Snow Park the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Valtellina, Italy, 06 February 2026.

Cam Bolton during training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.DAN HIMBRECHTS/EPA/Shutterstock

Alisa Camplin-Warner — Australia’s Chef de Mission for Milano Cortina 2026 — said in a statement, per the outlets, that Bolton is “doing well” amid his recovery in the hospital.

“Cam wanted to make [sure] his teammates understood what was happening and that he was fine and doing well and being looked after well,” said Camplin-Warner.

“He knows how seriously we’re taking the process of support around him and the communication has been really good. I’m proud of the level of care,” she continued, adding that Bolton had been joined by his wife, Grace.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Australian Olympics Committee and Camplin-Warner for comment.

Cameron Bolton poses during a 2018 Australian Winter Olympic Team portrait session at The Icehouse

Cam Bolton.Robert Cianflone/Getty

Bolton was scheduled to compete in the men’s seeding round of the snowboard cross competition in Livigno on Thursday, Feb. 12. He has now been replaced by James Johnstone, who will make his Olympic debut alongside Adam Lambert and Jarryd Hughes, per The Independent.

The athlete was also set to compete in the snowboard cross mixed team event.

Bolton began competing in snowboarding in his early teens. He competed at the Winter Olympics for the first time at the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia, and finished in 13th place at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, becoming the highest-placed Australian male snowboarder in the competition.

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Cam Bolton and his wife

Cam Bolton and his wife, Grace Bolton.Cam Bolton/Instagram

In March 2025, Bolton won Australia’s first World Cup gold while competing in the mixed team snowboard cross in Erzurum, Türkiye.

Bolton also secured a silver at the 2025 World Championships in the mixed team snowboard cross alongside Mia Clift.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

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