Torstein Horgmo, a strong medal contender in slopestyle at Sochi 2014, crashed while attempting a difficult trick on the rail portion of the course at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park Monday.
Horgmo, of Norway, Horgmo landed heavily on his face and right shoulder.
NBC 7’s Steven Luke, who is reporting from Sochi, Russia during the Olympics, said Horgmo was put in a neck brace, carried down the slope and taken to hospital.
The Norwegian media later reported Horgmo had fractured his collarbone and was likely to be ruled out of the Olympics.
Horgmo trained in San Diego’s North County this off season.
His crash in practice occurred after complaints from other athletes that some jumps were too steep.
Qualifying runs in men's slopestyle are scheduled for Thursday at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park course, the day before the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Games.
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International ski federation official Roberto Moresi, the assistant snowboard race director at Sochi, said organizers had responded to feedback from the athletes and were trimming some jumps at the top of the course "in order to make it more smooth."
Moresi said the course wasn't a factor in Horgmo's crash, saying it happened because "he was just trying a really hard trick."
Watch NBC 7's Sochi correspondent Steven Luke's daily reports in our special section: Sochi 2014
