Sawt Falasteen - Chinese Olympic snowboarder avoids serious injury after nasty crash

The 33-year-old, who won silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, crashed in halfpipe qualifying on Wednesday, sending her somersaulting into the snow before she slid to a halt.

Officials raced towards Liu, who lay motionless on the ground and received lengthy medical treatment before being towed away on a stretcher.

Liu has been confirmed to have no spinal abnormalities following medical examinations, state news agency Xinhua said.

"I just finished a check-up at the hospital and there's nothing seriously wrong. Everything is fine," Liu said on social media, alongside a smiling selfie of herself wearing a hospital gown while making a two-finger "V" sign.

Chinese fans expressed relief, with one user commenting that she had been checking the internet "all day" waiting for information on Liu's state.

"Your safety is the best news. Get well soon," the person posted.

In the halfpipe competitors perform a series of tricks while snowboarding down a slope with a semi-cylindrical shape. They are scored on the breadth and difficulty of the jumps.

China Sports Daily hailed the five-time Olympian's "fighting spirit".

"Liu Jiayu has always gritted her teeth and fought to the very end for the honour of her country and for her beloved snowboarding," it said.

The newspaper said Liu had suffered numerous injuries throughout her career -- including an old lumbar fracture that has not yet fully healed -- and has previously undergone three major shoulder surgeries.

K.Hassan--SF-PST