PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — Sebastien Toutant kept waiting for the pain in his back to ease. For three months leading up to the Olympics, it didn't.
Sure, the Canadian snowboarder could carve his way down the mountain with his friends. But he couldn't twist. He couldn't fly. And he certainly couldn't land. Those are three important elements when you earn a living flinging yourself 50 feet into the air.
"That feeling, not knowing if it's going to hurt or not, is terrible," Toutant said.
It's gone now. Euphoria will do that.
Barely three weeks after the back felt good enough for him to return to competition, Toutant soared to gold in the Olympic debut of men's Big Air, hitting his first two jumps, then watching his total of 174.