Morgan Reaches Olympic Standard
The 23-year-old Annika Morgan had only one qualification chance – she seized it.
Snowboarder Annika Morgan has met the Olympic standard approximately one and a half months after breaking her hand. The 23-year-old from Garmisch-Partenkirchen finished sixth in the Slopestyle competition at the Laax Open in Switzerland, thus fulfilling the requirement for the Winter Games from February 6 to 22 in Italy with her only chance.
“I didn’t think I would ride so well after the injury break. Now I’m just hungry for the Olympic Games,” said Morgan, for whom a top-8 finish was required. National coach Michael Dammert said after the final day in difficult wind conditions: “She did it incredibly confidently. To come back from an injury and perform like this under these conditions – we as a team are very proud of that.”
Morgan had suffered a fracture of the third metacarpal bone during training in early December and had undergone surgery. After that, she missed the competitions in Beijing this weekend and in Steamboat Springs/USA, making Laax her only chance.