From smashed skull to silver medal – how Colby Stevenson pulled off Olympic miracle
The US freeskier Colby Stevenson has completed a miracle comeback at the 2022 Winter Olympics, soaring to a silver medal just a few years after shattering his skull into 48 pieces in a car crash that almost ended his life.
Colby crashed out of his first two runs in the men's Big Air freestyle skiing competition, before nailing his final effort for a score of 183.00 to bag silver behind Birk Ruud of Norway (187.75).
Colby fell asleep at the wheel in Idaho on the night of May 8, 2016, crashing his car and smashing his skull in an accident that left him with dramatic scars to this day.
He somehow returned to freestyle skiing – one of the Winter Games’ most dangerous disciplines – but suffered more trauma two years later.
"I was heartbroken in 2018 when I tore my shoulder out and didn't get to come to the Olympics," he said.
This year, he was happy just to make the team for Beijing 2022.
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"Big Air's not typically an event I do well in. I've never been on the podium in Big Air, so my expectations weren't super high for landing on the podium, but I knew I was throwing down some new tricks and I had a good chance at doing well, so I just focused on that.”
Colby went into the competition armed with a new trick called the “nose butter 16 with Japan grab”.
“I believe I'm the first one to do it with a Japan grab, so I'm super hyped to do that. Honestly this feels like something straight out of a movie scene. I'm just on a cloud right now! I don't know really how else to explain it. It's my first big air podium finish, and it's here at the Olympics. What an amazing thing."
Doctors gave him small odds of returning to competitive freestyle skiing after car crash. As well as fracturing his cranium, he broke ribs, an eye socket, jaw and neck in the accident and had to have two major surgeries, including one to put a titanium plate in his skull.
He said, "I really don't focus on that. It's something of the past, but to come back from that and be able to ski at a high level again. I feel super lucky to be able to do that.
"If I can survive that, I can survive any kind of crash I'm going to take out here; that's kind of how I think about it. I'm just going to give it my all and keep pushing. This is what I love to do and nothing's going to stop me from doing it."
"I really don't focus on that. It's something of the past, but to come back from that and be able to ski at a high level again. I feel super lucky to be able to do that.
"If I can survive that, I can survive any kind of crash I'm going to take out here; that's kind of how I think about it. I'm just going to give it my all and keep pushing. This is what I love to do and nothing's going to stop me from doing it."
