Skier George McQuinn Posts Selfie After 'Gnarly' Crash That Left Him Unconscious: 'I'm OK'
George McQuinn/Instagram
George McQuinn, a moguls racer hoping to join Team USA ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, was knocked unconscious after hitting his head twice during a jump attempt at an event on Thursday.
The 23-year-old skier was competing at the FIS Freestyle World Cup at Deer Valley Resort in Salt Lake City when his head appeared to slam into the ice during the race's final jump. Footage from the jump shows McQuinn flying horizontally in the air before crashing back to the ground on his back, hitting his head once more.
McQuinn, who was unconscious from the impact, then slid down the rest of the hill, face first, all the way to the finish line as the event's attendees looked on in horror.
Ezra Shaw/Getty
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, medical personnel quickly stabilized McQuinn and placed him on a backboard before transporting him down the hill while attached to a snowboard.
The FIS Freestyle World Cup doubled as Team USA's final Olympic qualifier ahead of the start of the Beijing Games next month. He was the only man to reach the super final at the event with the third-highest score in the six-man super final, the outlet reported.
RELATED: Olympic Ski Jumper Had to Be 'Intubated and Mechanically Ventilated' After Horrific Crash
McQuinn regained consciousness a short time after the incident and later posted a series of Stories to his Instagram page while recovering.
"Gnarly crash today but I'm ok," he wrote in one of the Stories, which featured a replay of the race. and crash.
Tom Pennington/Getty
RELATED: See That Moment an Olympic Skier Crashed Into a Photographer and Lived to Tell the Tale
On Thursday night, McQuinn posted a selfie of himself from a hotel room that showed him smiling despite the many scapes across his face.
"Thank god for helmet technology," he wrote in an Instagram Story on Friday morning that showed the helmet he wore during the race, which was crushed in at the point of impact.
In an interview with the Durango Herald leading up to the qualifier, McQuinn said he was focused on making it to the Olympics, which has been a lifelong dream of his.
"Even when I was a little kid I dreamed of the World Cup and skiing in the Olympics," he told the newspaper. "Now I just have to focus up and make it a reality. [Team USA] will take four guys and four girls, and I plan to be one of them."
RELATED VIDEO: Skier Gus Kenworthy Is Ready for His "Swan Song" at the Beijing Winter Olympics
Canadian skier Mikael Kingsbury eventually won Thursday's race and dedicated the victory to McQuinn.
"This one is for him," he said, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. "I know this was his first super final. He's an exciting skier with a bright future. I just hope he's OK and we get to ski in a super final in the future together."
