It was meant to be a chance for winter sports gold, as two separate Australian duos competed in the first-ever Olympic mixed snowboard cross.
But that excitment quickly turned to dread, with both teams failing to progress out of the quarter-finals, and Australian athlete Belle Brockhoff requiring medical attention on the course before being transported to hospital.
Snowboard cross sees duos compete, with the men first taking on the course, with their finishes then attributed to their women teammates, who then leave the start in a handicap format.
From here, the first two women who finish qualify their teams for the next round.
Australia had two teams in this event, Cam Bolton and Belle Brockhoff, and Adam Lambert and Josie Baff.
While both Bolton and Lambert had solid runs, finishing first and third respectively, it was during the women’s section where disaster struck - both Brockhoff and Baff crashing out, with Brockhoff requiring subsequent medical attention.
When the mixed team snowboard cross course says no 🙅♀️
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) February 12, 2022
Belle Brockhoff falls and Australia 1 (Bolton/Brockhoff) are out 😢#Beijing2022 | #7Olympics pic.twitter.com/MLee92jLtK
Whilst Baff made it to the bottom of the course, Brockhoff was transferred to hospital as a precaution, after complaining of neck pain.
An hour and a half later, the Australian Olympic team announced via Twitter that the 29-year-old was cleared of injury after undertaking a CT scan and an MRI, and she was headed back to the Olympic village.
🚨UPDATE ON BELLE BROCKHOFF:⁰⁰CT & MRI all clear, Belle is out of the neck collar and heading back to the Athletes Village shortly.#ChasingWinter
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) February 12, 2022
Following the race, Bolton expressed his concern about his teammate and conceded that the day had not exactly gone as planned.
“First of all I hope [Brockhoff] is doing well, I heard from the team that she's doing OK and it's just precautionary and they think everything is good," Bolton said.
"Hopefully that's the case. [To lose in the quarter-finals] was really disappointing. It's just one of those things.
“[Adam Lambert] and [Josie Baff] – I'm so sorry for them too. Josie had such a great start, she was coming in fast behind [Lindsey Jacobellis] who won gold the other day.
"There is so much snow [falling], the course is tricky.
"It's hard to clear the jumps in the middle."
Fellow Australian Adam Lambert also expressed his disappointment in his and Baff’s outcome but acknowledged that he had performed to a high level regardless.
"The men's races are always super tight," Lambert said.
"[Cam Bolton] and [Nick Baumgartner] are incredible riders. I just wanted to win. I tried really hard."
