British halfpipe skier Rowan Cheshire has been taken to hospital having sustained concussion in a training accident.

The 18-year-old was reportedly knocked unconscious at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park earlier today.

She is due to compete on Thursday and is considered a strong medal prospect having won her first World Cup title in Calgary last month.

A Team GB spokesman said: “Team GB halfpipe skier Rowan Cheshire was injured this evening during halfpipe training. She was immediately taken from the course and is currently at the polyclinic in the Mountain Village, where she is being evaluated by Team GB medical personnel.”

We have since heard from the BBC that, as a precaution, she will be staying in hospital overnight for further assessment.  Unlike some sports, including horse-racing and rugby, there are no hard and fast rules for the halfpipe events regarding head injuries and how soon you can return to competition following a concussion injury.  Fingers crossed she will be well enough to compete on Thursday.

Her injury comes at the end of a day full of crashes.  In the ladies’ snowboard cross competition, both Norway’s Helene Olafsen and American Jacqueline Hernandez had to be stretchered off the course following accidents during qualification rounds; Swiss aerials skier Christopher Lambert was also taken to hospital after suffering a suspected dislocated elbow in a heavy fall during training.

And yesterday, Russian ski cross athlete Maria Komissarova sustained a broken and dislocated spine after a horrific training accident.  She underwent an emergency 6½ hour operation at a hospital in nearby Krasnaya Polyana.