McMorris misses out on another Olympic medal

An emotional Mark McMorris exited the Milan Cortina Olympics on his shield Wednesday, falling on his third and final run in snowboard slopestyle in a bid to reach the medal podium for the fourth straight games.

LIVIGNO – An emotional Mark McMorris exited the Milan Cortina Olympics on his shield Wednesday, falling on his third and final run in snowboard slopestyle in a bid to reach the medal podium for the fourth straight games.

The 32-year-old from Regina, who won bronze in Sochi, Pyeongchang and Beijing, finished eighth in the field of 12 after going down hard, taking yet more damage at a competition that took its toll.

“I’m feeling pretty beaten up. Mentally and physically,” McMorris said in a brief exchange with reporters. “But I’m proud of my efforts. I’m really really really proud to make it to a fourth Olympics. I know I haven’t left any stone unturned. I worked my ass off to be here. I had the tricks to do so but like in sports, it doesn’t always go your way.

“For my career, 90 per cent of the events — the big events — have always gone my way. This not being one of them, is really tough to swallow … At the end of the day, I’m just super-thankful to be in one piece.”

McMorris thanked everyone for their support during his 16-year career, but said he plans to keep going.

“I’m having more fun than ever. I don’t plan to stop any time soon,” he added.

But asked if he would go for a fifth Olympics, McMorris said “I don’t know yet” and walked away.

McMorris was the oldest — by three years — in Wednesday’s field and one of only three riders not born this century. He was also the lone male slopestyle athlete who competed in Sochi in 2014, which marked the discipline’s Olympic debut.