BBC forced to cut Winter Olympics broadcast after horror crash
Cameras quickly cut away after the gold medal favourite was involved in a brutal crash.
The BBC was forced to cut the live feed showing the Winter Olympics after there was a horrific crash during the freeski halfpipe event.
After nearly two weeks of drama and excitement, the closing ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics is nearly here.
However, before the ceremony gets underway on Sunday, there are still some events that are set to finish in the final days of the Winter Olympics in Italy.
On Friday, athletes competing in the men's freeski halfpipe for the qualifiers and the final medal events arrived at the Livigno Snow Park.
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But it all went wrong for New Zealand's Finley Melville Ives as his gold medal hopes suddenly disappeared as he suffered a devastating fall that forced the BBC to cut their cameras.
Heading into the vent, the the 19-year-old was one of the favourites, but his fall in the second qualification run saw him drop out of the competition early.
After falling in his first run, Melville Ives knew that he had to do something special in order to secure a spot in the final.
This led to him deciding to go for a incredibly high jump 5m above the slope, which is where it all went wrong as his legs gave way as he came back down.
The New Zealander quickly collapsed with one of his skis coming off as he slid down the slope, requiring immediate medical assistance.
"Oh, no, no, no. You don’t want to see a final where you don’t have everyone there," the BBC commentator said live on air.
"When the favourite goes down like this, it’s so so difficult to watch. It is an awful reminder of just how brutal this discipline is.
"They are pushing the limits, the fine line between crashing out and putting down a perfect run."
BBC cameras quickly cut away from the crash, instead showing long-range shots while medical staff attended to the teenager.
The co-commentator added: "This is a heartbreaking moment for halfpipe skiing in 2026.
"Everyone was so excited to see him show the world what he can do and raise the level of the other boys."
After receiving treatment on the slope, Melville Ives was taken away on a stretcher to the sound of applause from all spectators.
Several hours later, the New Zealand Olympic team were able to share that their star athlete was stable and with family.
"For those asking, Fin is with his family and being assessed by medical professionals. He is stable and positive. Thanks for the love," they posted on Instagram.
The crash comes just weeks after fellow skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a horrific crash while competing with a torn ACL on 8 February.
Ben McCrum