PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — Olympic halfpipe champion Iouri Podladtchikov won't defend his title due to injuries sustained last month at the Winter X Games.
The gold medalist, known as the I-Pod, practiced on the Olympic halfpipe Friday, but afterward said it would be "totally unreasonable" for him to compete.
The 29-year-old, who was born in Russia and competes for Switzerland, took a nasty fall on his final jump at the X Games on Jan. 28, banging his face against the bottom of the pipe. He was motionless for more than 10 minutes while medics stabilized his neck and strapped him to a stretcher.