Finnish skier and Olympic debutant Elias Lajunen was knocked unconscious after being involved in a terrifying crash during Sunday's freestyle big air qualifying at Milano Cortina 2026.
The 18-year-old, who is the son of three-time Olympic gold medalist Samppa Lajunen, suffered an early exit from the competition following his opening round jump.
After making his way down the 131ft slope, Lajunen launched himself off the ramp and into the air before performing a complex aerial trick.
But moments later, the teenager hit his head upon landing the jump, with the crash leaving him face down and unconscious as he reached the bottom of the landing area in Livigno.
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As silence fell over the area, Lajunen was immediately attended to by medics.
The Finnish athlete, who suffered a visible injury to the right side of his face, was stretchered off to applause from the crowd. He could also be seen giving a thumbs-up as he left the track.
As per Finnish media outlet YLE, the Olympic Committee confirmed that Lajunen is now 'doing well' after further examinations did not find anything concerning. He remained in the hospital for overnight observation.
Fans were relieved to see Lajunen in a conscious state after the worrying fall.
One said: "Grateful he's conscious and moving. Prayers up for a full recovery, young man. Stay strong," and a second wrote: "Saw it live, looked horrible. Glad he is ok."
Lajunen, Elias Syrja and Kuura Koivisto competed for Finland in the men's big air qualification, but all of them failed to make Tuesday's final.
The big air qualifications, which consist of three jumps for each athlete, with the two highest scores counting towards the ranking, were dominated by America's Mac Forehand.
Forehand scored a 93.25 on his first jump and an 89.75 on his second, putting him in first place. He decided that his two-jump total of 183.00 was good enough.
The freestyle skiing final will take place on Tuesday.
Topics: Olympics
Jack Kenmare