There were plenty of obstacles in the snowboard cross event on Tuesday.
A fog that postponed the event from Monday to Tuesday wasn’t totally lifted. Rain was making things complicated. The limited space and wicked speed leads to crashes even in ideal circumstances for the event.
Even with all of those considerations in mind, France’s Pierre Vaultier’s own body might have provided the biggest roadblock, as he was snowboarding with a knee brace thanks to a torn ACL. Yet, instead of that injury being a burden, he told NBCOlympics.com that it seemed to keep him loose.
“I felt quite relaxed because I was not supposed to be here. I have a broken ACL and am racing with a brace,” Vaultier said. “My knee could have stopped me way before. I was racing with no pressure, and it brought me to the bottom in first place.”
Many people believe that a person with nothing to lose is a dangerous opponent. Vaultier’s path makes that argument.
