Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff is in "good spirits" after being rushed to Greece for surgery on a broken back she suffered while competing in Georgia.
Brockhoff, who has represented the country at the past three Winter Olympics, was competing in her final snowboard cross race at a World Cup event when things went badly awry.
The Victorian crashed at high speed, landing on her coccyx.
Brockhoff was airlifted to a hospital in Tbilisi, then later evacuated to Athens for an operation after scans revealed a fracture of the L1 vertebrae, with no neurological damage.
"Currently our medical team are working with the medical emergency service personnel and the hospital in Greece to ensure that Belle receives the best care possible," Olympic Winter Institute of Australia chief executive Geoff Lipshut said in a statement.
"We will reassess options together with Belle following surgery over the next 48 hours.
"Belle is in good spirits, and I am very pleased that her partner has been able to fly to Greece to support her during this time."
The 32-year-old is set to spend up to two weeks in Greece before heading home to continue her recovery.
Brockhoff has battled multiple setbacks throughout her career, having only recently returned from a badly broken wrist she suffered in November.
"I just landed on the wrist," she explained to the NSW Institute of Sport.
"I miscalculated a feature because the speeds were hit-and-miss.
"Unfortunately, my hand got stuck underneath my hip, and glacier ice is quite 'gripping', so I couldn't get it out from underneath me and it was crushed.
"The surgeon said it was the worst wrist break they'd ever seen. It was completely shattered, and I have a lot of nerve damage in my little pinkie."
