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Finnish Teen Elias Lajunen Crashes in Olympic Big Air Qualifying, Leaves Course Conscious

He left the course conscious, giving a thumbs-up to reassure spectators.

Overview

  • The crash occurred during run one of the men's freeski big air qualification at Livigno Air Park on February 15 at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
  • Event medics reached Lajunen immediately, and he was stretchered off after signaling awareness to the crowd.
  • He did not take his second or third qualifying runs as he received medical attention, and no further details on his condition were released.
  • Witnesses reported he failed to complete his final rotation and landed hard, sliding face-down before sitting up with assistance.
  • Lajunen, 18, is making his Olympic debut after modest results at the 2025 World Championships in slopestyle (31st) and big air (32nd), a context that has framed renewed attention on athlete safety for young competitors.