Prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics, Kaitlyn Farrington’s major wins had been at the 2012 Dew Tour at Breckinridge, Colorado, and 2010 X Games Europe. She had been a silver medalist in 2011 at the X Games Aspen and the Dew Tour, and won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Cup. In addition, she had won the US Grand Prix in 2012. Farrington came to Sochi as a medal contender, having placed fourth at the 2013 Worlds, although not expected to win gold, but she did just that.
In October 2014, while doing some video shoots, Farrington fell in Austria while attempting a frontside 360. She landed on her upper back and neck and immediately had transient quadriplegia, going numb from the neck down. Fortunately this lasted only a few minutes, however, subsequent MRI studies revealed that Farrington had significant congenital cervical stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column in the neck). After seeking opinions from several doctors, in January 2015 she announced her retirement from competitive snowboarding.
United States