Horrifying moment American ski star is left in a crumpled heap after crashing while seconds away from a Winter Olympics gold medal
Team USA ski sensation Nick Goepper somehow managed to walk off the course after a horrifying crash in the final move of his final run of the freeski halfpipe.
Goepper, 31, was already a three-time slopestyle Olympic medalist as he hunted gold in Milan-Cortina, and he looked destined for the top step of the podium until disaster struck at the last second.
As he attempted his fifth and final trick of his third run, Goepper appeared to take off too early, his body then slamming down onto the snow before he tumbled in a heap to the bottom of the pipe.
Medics rushed to his aid as he tried to get up, laying him back down to give him treatment in the immediate aftermath of the fall.
Incredibly, though, Goepper was soon able to get back to his feet and waved at the crowd as he was guided off the course by officials.
What’s more, he could even be heard shouting ‘no regrets’ to the crowd as they asked him how he was after his hard fall.
Nick Goepper slams into the ice at the top of the pipe before hurtling down to the ground
The American ski star was heading for a gold medal until his fall at the final stage of his jump
NBC announcers had predicted a near-guaranteed gold for Goepper had he landed the final move of the run, but he was soon bumped off the podium to ensure he wouldn’t take home a medal in the Olympic event on Friday.
Goepper could also be heard on the mic saying ‘I’m going to be 35 in four years’, appearing to hint at participation in the 2030 Games at the end of the next cycle.
Another American who failed to medal in the freestyle halfpipe final was Hunter Hess, who was called a ‘loser’ by president Donald Trump a fortnight ago.
Medics rushed to his aid as anxious crowds watched on waiting to see if he was okay
Somehow the 31-year-old American was able to walk away, and he even shouted: ‘No regrets’
Hess could only finish 10th of 11 skiers on the night of the final, at the end of a Games that has seen him receive plenty of abuse from back home.
It was a Team USA on the top step of the podium, though, with Alex Ferreira taking gold after a mesmeric third run in the final.
His score of 93.75 bettered his Estonian rival Henry Sildaru by 0.75 points, ensuring that he sealed his first Olympic gold medal after a silver at Pyeongchang 2018.
