Injured Aussie skier Jonty O’Callaghan ‘devastated’ as horror crash ends Winter Paralympics dream

Para-alpine skier Jonty O’Callaghan’s Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics dreams are over after he suffered a broken collarbone in a serious crash in training.

O’Callaghan will require surgery on the injury suffered in Austria last Thursday, when he was also concussed, and will not recover in time to compete.

The 24-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, made his Paralympics debut in 2018 and had been due to arrive in Beijing for his second games on Thursday, where he was set to compete in all five alpine disciplines.

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“There is a lot to process. I think the biggest emotion at the moment is emptiness,” O’Callaghan said.

“I’m obviously very sad but I don’t think the true extent of the disappointment or sadness will kick in until everyone’s over there in the Games environment and competing and on TV.

“That’s when I think it will become real and when I think I will fully digest what’s happened, but at this point, it’s really just a feeling of emptiness.”

The Winter Paralympics begin on March 4.

O’Callaghan informed his teammates, most of whom he was based with in Austria with, in an emotional meeting on Saturday before returning to Melbourne on Sunday.

“That conversation was the probably the hardest I have had to start with anyone,” he said.

“I didn’t contain my emotions very well. It was clearly a very emotional time for everyone.

“We’ve been on the road together for so long - both in terms of the number of years, but also this particular trip. It would have been day 93 or 94 for us today.

“Going into the home stretch (towards Beijing), to not be able to see it through with the team is really devastating both for me personally and for my friends