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Live sport on SN this weekend"Risk of spinal collapse": Olympic legend forced to retire
SENZ • January 16th, 2026 10:49 am
Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff has announced she is being forced into medical retirement and will not be able to fulfil her dream of competing in the forthcoming Olympic Games in Milano Cortina.
The three-time Olympian was involved in a horror incident in February 2025 which left her with a broken back.
Brockhoff fractured her L1 vertebrae in a highspeed crash during a World Cup event in Georgia and has since been warned that any further incidents could leave her unable to walk.
"“I like walking. I think if anyone had the option they would prefer to walk," she said in a statement on Friday morning.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. I love the sport and I still get very excited about it, so it’s a bit sad for me but at the same time it’s my body that I need to look after.
“I’ve had a number of injuries and I’ve come back from those injuries, but this one is quite different, so I’ve got to look at the rest of my life.
“I could get back, for sure. I’m strong and I’m fit right now. But even the more progressive specialists that I saw – and I’ve seen 10 – they just said if you crash, there is no guarantee that you won’t do more damage to your spine.
“I took the time to really weigh everything up properly … that chance of another medal wasn’t worth it."
Last year's crash left the 33-year-old needing serious surgery which saw six pins and two rods inserted in her back.
Having consulted numerous experts and also her peers, the Aussie decided the risk was "not worth a medal".
“I spoke to different athletes and looked into all sorts of different research material for my back and it’s just (a risk) pulling out of a start gate with that sort of danger that could be in play," she continued.
“Plus knowing even the GOATS of our sport don’t get through a whole season without crashes, especially with this new generation coming through – they are very erratic racers – it just wasn’t worth it.
“They (the pins and rods) are going to be in there forever.
“There is a massive risk of my spine collapsing if I take them out, which isn’t ideal.
“But there are no issues with the back at the moment, it is just a danger with the crashes because they are quite high speed.”
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