‘Slowly building confidence’: McMorris cleared, will compete in Olympic slopestyle after training crash

Canada's Mark McMorris practices during a snowboard big air training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Regina snowboarder Mark McMorris has received the green light to compete in the Olympic slopestyle event following a nasty crash last week, Team Canada announced Thursday.

According to a report on the Canadian Olympic Committee’s website, McMorris suffered a concussion, bone bruising near his pelvis, and an abdominal strain when he crash landed during training for the big air event on Feb. 4.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, he said he lost consciousness when he fell nine days ago.

“We’ve been doing a lot of different tests and taking all the necessary steps to make sure I’m in good shape,” McMorris said. “I’m thankful to have passed all those tests and, at the end of the day, to be feeling good and feeling confident to get back out there.”

• Canada’s McMorris to skip big air competition following training crash

That ruled him out of the big air event and possibly called his participation in slopestyle into question. But he received medical clearance on Thursday and was back out on the hill at the Livigno Snow Park on Friday.

“Feeling really good, feeling thankful to be boarding again. Had a lot of fun today,” said McMorris. “It’s awesome that we have so many days of practice.”

“That was day one, and I feel like I made some good strides. Then, yeah, just slowly building my confidence back up,” he added.

Slopestyle qualifying is scheduled for Monday Feb. 16, with the finals set for Wednesday.

McMorris believes the course plays to his strengths—and that it’s got a jump that will allow him to put down an 1800, which he performed at the Winter X Games in late January to win his 12th gold medal at that competition.

Still, he’s cautious.

“Doing all the concussion protocol and testing is very repetitive and rigorous, but you can’t be too careful with the head,” McMorris said. “I’m glad that we have such a good medical team here, to help walk me through that and instill the confidence in me again by passing all those crazy heart rate tests and all these different things I had to do.”

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McMorris has prevailed through serious injuries and setbacks before.

His worst accident was a near-fatal slam into a tree during a backcountry run in 2017. Doctors had to induce a coma to save McMorris, who broke 17 bones, ruptured his spleen and suffered a collapsed lung in that wreck.

“The injury doesn’t change the goals,” he said. “The goal is always just to ride to the best of my ability, and if I do that, I think I’ll be in a really good place.”

The 32-year-old McMorris has won bronze medals in slopestyle at the last three Olympics.

-With files from the Canadian Olympic Committee & The Associated Press