Iouri Podladtchikov, the defending Olympic halfpipe champ has decided that he will not be competing in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang due to a traumatic brain injury he suffered while competing in the 2018 X Games, according to a Reuters story.
When I received this diagnosis, it was clear to me that I had sustained a serious and dangerous injury and that participating in the Olympic Games would pose a great risk to my health,” the 29-year-old said in a statement released by the Swiss ski federation. . . “After all the tests that I have had on the way to the present day in the last two weeks – including my first practice this Friday – I can say for sure that starting and participating in the Olympic Games is in no way safe and responsible.”
The world is going to miss him, but there’s no doubt that he made the right decision, even if the media are already reporting that Shaun White’s hunt for gold just got easier. As someone close to I-Pod said, “We must honor this and all athletes who choose to make good choices for their futures even if it is at the expense of momentary fame.”
[Link: Reuters]
