Who Is Markus Schairer? Snowboarder Breaks Neck During Winter Olympics

Snowboarder Markus Schairer injured his vertebra during a men's snowboard cross quarterfinal match Thursday at the Pyeongchang Olympics, according to the Austrian Olympic Committee.

Schairer, 30, fractured his fifth cervical vertebrae but remained in stable condition without permanent damage, the committee said in a statement, according to NBC News.

The Australian was expected to make a trip back to Austria for more treatment and evaluation "as soon as possible," The Austrian Olympic Committee said.

While in fourth place of the competition, the three-time Olympian lost control after hanging high in the air off a massive drop and landed hard on his back.

The impact of the crash propelled his goggles and helmets right off his head. Schairer remained flat on his back but eventually rose to his feet without assistance. He then crossed the finished and waived to the crowd.

Schairer had suffered an elbow injury in a crash during a previous event on Thursday, ESPN reported.

The Australian won a silver medal in snowboard cross at the 2007 Junior World Championships in Bad Gastein.

The following year, he earned silver in a snowboard cross event at the 2008 Winter X Games XII in Aspen, Colorado.

In February 2008, Schairer tore the cruciate ligament in his knee. He broke five ribs in January 2010 during a Winter X Games event in Aspen.

In 2013, he ruptured four shoulder ligaments and fractured a joint in a training accident.

Schairer also competed in the 2013 and 2014 Olympics.