Australian Rider Breaks Neck In Olympic Training

Olympic snowboarding is dangerous, and snowboard cross might be the most dangerous discipline of them all.

Australian snowboarder Cam Bolton fell hard in a training session in Livigno on February 9, 2026. He walked away from the incident, but woke up with neck pain the next day. Doctors later found that he had fractured his neck in two different places, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

A CT scan showed that he had two neck fractures. Bolton has since been ruled out of the competition and will be replaced by James Johnstone. Bolton was also scheduled to ride in the snowboard cross mixed team event.

Australia's spokesperson Alisa Camplin-Warner said that Bolton is doing well 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. 

This was set to be Bolton's third Olympics. He rode at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2022 Games in Beijing.