Heartbreaking news from the Winter Olympics: Latvian bobsledder Renars Grantins faces a tough road to recovery after a serious accident during a training run at Cortina Sliding Centre, just before the opening of the 2026 Games.
The 21-year-old, who’s been a favourite to represent Latvia on the Olympic stage, suffered spinal injuries when his bobsleigh flipped over. Though initially the crash didn’t seem severe, it was quickly realised that his condition was critical. Grantins came frighteningly close to quadriplegia and needed emergency neurosurgery for a fractured vertebra.
Thanks to the quick action of medical teams, his spine is now stable, but Grantins’ Olympic dreams have been dashed for this year. He was released from the hospital just last week and reunited with his team, but unfortunately, he won’t be competing in the Games.
Paolo Rosi, director of medical services at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, praised the prompt medical response saying, “He risked becoming a quadriplegic, but his spine is now stable. I don’t think he’ll be able to return to the tracks, but he is back with his team-mates.” He also highlighted the challenges of emergency evacuations in the mountainous environment, noting that the snowy weather made helicopter transport impossible, necessitating an ambulance journey instead.
Raimonds Lazdins, president of the Latvian Olympic Committee, shared that Grantins’s condition is stable and expressed hope for his complete recovery. “We wish him a speedy and complete recovery and look forward to his return to Latvia,” he said. Sadly, Grantins will be missing out on this year’s Olympic thrills, but fans worldwide are sending their best wishes for his swift recovery.
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