Olympic snowboarder Anna Gasser injured in ‘freak accident’

A two-time Olympic champion snowboarder is on the mend after a “freak accident surfing” resulted in a dislocated shoulder and a bicep tendon injury as the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina draw near.

Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser, who took gold in the big air competitions at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics in Pyeongchang and Beijing, respectively, revealed Tuesday on Instagram she underwent surgery following the harrowing incident in Munich, Germany.

“Crazy how everything can change in a second,” the 33-year-old wrote in her post. “Had a freak accident surfing and dislocated my shoulder. Decided to fix it right away to be 100% again for next season.”

Gasser, a four-time Winter X Games medalist, posted a photo of herself in the hospital with a cast on her arm, as well as footage of the scary scene, which featured her slipping off a board as an artificial wave crashed over her.

“Sad that my summer plans changed and that I’m forced to watch from the sidelines for now,” she continued on Instagram. “But I’ll try to make the best out of it and come back strong.”

In a separate statement to Ski Austria, Gasser shared “the examinations showed that the shoulder was briefly dislocated,” and that “the abrum and biceps tendon were affected.”

“The surgery restored the necessary stability in the shoulder. Even though it isn’t easy for me, I will have to be patient for now,” she said.

“After that, I will concentrate on training and compete in selected World Cup competitions so that I can travel to the Olympic Games in Italy optimally prepared.”

Gasser will now adjust her training for the 2026 Olympics, shifting to the glacial areas of Austia and Switzerland instead of Australia, where preparation was slated for mid-August to mid-September.

The 2026 Winter Olympics begin Feb. 6 and run through Feb. 22.