Olympic medal hopeful Raibu Katayama has been diagnosed with a concussion and a broken rib after a hard crash during a World Cup snowboard halfpipe event, the Ski Association of Japan said Monday.
The 26-year-old snowboarder hit his upper body on the decking Saturday in the men's final at the World Cup season opener at Copper Mountain in Colorado and was removed by toboggan. He was immediately hospitalized and there is no timeline for his return.
Katayama placed seventh at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018. He has achieved the entry standard and virtually guaranteed himself a spot on the national team for the Beijing Games in February.