A sport brutal on the knees

IT’S the sport that has mangled more meniscuses than moguls skiing.

Slopestyle may be only in its second Winter Olympics but it is already developing a reputation as the most brutal of alpine pursuits.

Australian 17-year-old Tess Coady found out just how unforgiving it can be when she ruptured her ACL in snowboarding’s version of the event on Sunday.

Coady crashed heavily in her final jump in practice and is expected to spend much of this year out of the sport.

She in part blamed high winds but there have been plenty of mishaps in benign conditions too.

Featuring in skiing as well, slopestyle invites competitors to jump and spin off a series of kickers (jumps) and man-made features such as rails.

With the sport rapidly progressing, competitors are pushing their tricks to impress judges but can pay with serious injury. It’s something other Australian athletes and international competitors know well.

Australian men’s ski competitor Russ Henshaw, an X Games and world championship silver medallist, has had three ACL injuries and also had to get medical clearance to compete in PyeongChang after further knee trouble. Father Steve donated part of his hamstring to repair one of Henshaw’s ACLs back in 2011.

The Games are lesser for the non-appearance of 15year-old sensation Kelly Sildaru, the Estonian X Games

DAY 2

champion who tore her ACL training for ski slopestyle in New Zealand last year. It’s not just knees either. Great Britain medal hope Katie Ormerod fractured her heel in practice in PyeongChang while Canadian snowboarder Laurie Blouin was carried off the course on a stretcher after a head knock.

One of New Zealand’s big hopes, Tiarn Collins, injured his shoulder training for the Games. AAP

Slopestyle may be only in its second Winter Olympics but it is already developing a reputation as the most brutal of alpine pursuits.