Australian Teen Snowboarder Ally Hickman Injured in Olympic Final, Finishes Seventh
Ally Hickman, a 16-year-old Australian snowboarding prodigy, has sustained a bruised sternum following a nasty fall during the women's slopestyle Olympic final. Despite the injury, the Sydney schoolgirl demonstrated remarkable resilience, finishing in an admirable seventh place at the Livigno Snow Park event on Wednesday.
Injury Details and Performance in the Final
In her Olympic debut, Hickman started strong, securing fourth position after her first run with a score of 67.70 as she navigated three rails and three jumps on the challenging mountain course. However, during her second run, she took a fall that resulted in the sternum injury, preventing her from improving her score. Although cleared to compete in her third run, Hickman experienced another fall at the final jump, which further aggravated the injury.
The Australian Olympic team issued a statement confirming that Hickman was taken to the Olympic Village polyclinic for precautionary imaging. "Ally has a diagnosis of a bruised sternum," the statement reported. "She has had x-rays to exclude a fracture of her sternum and ultrasound to exclude other abdominal and chest injuries." This incident highlights the physical demands and risks associated with elite snowboarding competitions.
Competition Context and Other Results
Hickman was the sole Australian athlete to qualify for the top-12 final, with Beijing bronze medallist Tess Coady failing to make the cut. The event, delayed by 24 hours due to heavy snowfall, culminated in a thrilling final round. New Zealand's defending champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, aged 24, delivered an impressive performance with a score of 87.48 but was narrowly edged out by Japan's Mari Fukada, who claimed gold with 87.83 points.
Another Japanese rider, Kokomo Murase, who previously defeated Sadowski-Synnott in the big air event last week, secured bronze with 85.80 points. Sadowski-Synnott's achievement in this competition further cements her legacy, as she has now become the most decorated snowboarder in Olympic Winter Games history, boasting five medals: one gold, three silver, and a bronze.
Reflections from a Champion
In a post-event interview, Sadowski-Synnott expressed her astonishment at this milestone. "Someone told me that after I got given this medal. I couldn't have even believed that that was a possibility when I was a kid, so it's pretty special," she said. She also acknowledged the personal challenges leading up to the Games, including an ankle injury and bone-bruising. "The last two years hasn't really been easy with an ankle injury and then some bone-bruising coming into this season, so I'm pretty grateful to be standing here today with another Olympic medal."
This event underscores the intense competition and physical toll in winter sports, with athletes like Hickman showcasing determination despite setbacks, while veterans like Sadowski-Synnott continue to set new records in the sport.
