Australian Olympian Belle Brockhoff airlifted to hospital after horror crash in World Cup race

Australian Winter Olympian Belle Brockhoff is on the mend in a Greek hospital after a serious crash at a Snowboard Cross World Cup event in eastern Europe.

The 32-year-old world champion was in her last race of the program on Saturday, the small final, when she lost her balance and flew over a jump, landing on the next peak on her coccyx.

Watch the video above: Belle Brockhoff crashes in World Cup race.

She was airlifted to a hospital in nearby Tbilisi, Georgia and scans revealed a fracture of the L1 vertebrae. Brockhoff was cleared of neurological damage but needed to be evacuated to Athens for surgery.

Her partner Georgia has rushed onto a flight to be by her side, with Brockhoff currently being supported by an Olympic Winter Institute of Australia medical staffer.

Brockhoff is expected to remain in hospital for up to two weeks before being able to return home to Australia.

“Currently our medical team are working with the medical emergency service personnel and the hospital in Greece to ensure that Belle receives the best care possible,” Olympic Winter Institute of Australia boss Geoff Lipshut said.

“We will reassess options together with Belle following surgery over the next 48 hours.

“Belle is in good spirits, and I am very pleased that her partner has been able to fly to Greece to support her during this time.”

The injury comes soon after recovering from “the worst” broken wrist her surgeon had ever seen, and 11 just months out from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Brockhoff previously competed at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics with her knee taped and in a brace after having an ACL removed.

Beyond the injuries, she is out for redemption following a devastating end to her Beijing 2022 campaign.

Brockhoff bluntly described herself as “the loser” after missing the medals in the four-person women’s snowboard cross final.

“Fourth is s***house, fourth sucks s***,” she said at the time.

Brockhoff then crashed out of the mixed team event, laying motionless before a medical team arrived.

She was taken off the course in a stretcher.

Brockhoff is the second Australian Winter Olympian to go down in a crash in recent months.

Jakara Anthony missed the World Cup event in Georgia after undergoing surgery on a broken collarbone suffered in a December training incident.