By Nick Butler at the Main Press Centre in Sochi

Maria Komissarova competing in a World Cup event in 2012 ©Getty ImagesFebruary 15 - Russian freestyle skier Maria Komissarova has undergone a "successful" six-hour operation after she broke and dislocated her spine in a horrific training crash at Sochi 2014 today.


The 23-year-old, preparing for the ski-cross event, was injured on a series of jumps in the top part of course, with her condition quickly described as "serious" by the Russian Freestyle Federation. 

Rather than risk transporting her to Moscow or back down the mountain to Sochi, it was decided to operate on her as quickly as possible in the local Krasnaya Polyanskaya Hospital.

A source at the scene claimed to Ria Novosti, the host news agency for Sochi 2014, that consultations with a medical team in the capital were held before surgery began but that the operation was made more difficult because Komissarova's spine was dislocated

This evening Mikhail Verzeba, a spokesman for the Russian Freestyle Federation, confirmed she had fractured the 12th dorsal vertebrae in her lower-middle back before adding that six-and-a-half hours of surgery had been successful.

It is unknown exactly what this means, although Komissarova will play no further part in these Games. 

The incident raised memories of Georgian lugist Nodar Kumaritashvili whose death during Vancouver 2010 in a training incident was marked by the IOC this week ©Getty ImagesThe incident raised memories of Georgian lugist Nodar Kumaritashvili, whose death during Vancouver 2010 in a training incident was marked by the IOC last week
©Getty Images



Komissarova was not considered a serious medal contender but did win a World Cup silver medal in Grindelwald in 2012.

Recently her profile was raised after she was one of a number Russian female Olympians to appear in a photo shoot dressed in lingerie as part of a campaign which went viral on the internet.

The incident is also the latest, and most serious, in a number of injuries suffered during training this week, including a bobsleigh track worker breaking both his legs when hit by a non-competition bobsled on Thursday (February 13).

Away from Sochi, Australian snowboarder Matthew Robinson also suffered critical neck and spinal injuries after being injured in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Adaptive Snowboard (IPCAS) World Cup Finals in La Molina, Spain.

Yesterday he remained in critical condition although he is reportedly now awake and responsive. 

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