Snowboarding-Australian Brockhoff crashes, taken off course on stretcher

ZHANGJIAKOU, China : Australia's Belle Brockhoff was taken off the snowboard cross course by stretcher on Saturday after she fell during the mixed team quarter-final at the Beijing Games.

The Australian Olympic Committee said on Twitter Brockhoff was being treated on the course after an "awkward fall."

The event resumed after a brief delay.

Heavy snow began to fall in Zhangjiakou ahead of Saturday's final, covering the course with a layer of powdery snow. Air temperatures fell to -11 degree Celsius (12.2°F) and visibility was lower than normal.

(Reporting by Winni Zhou and Mari Saito; Editing by Peter Rutherford)