British snowboarder Katie Ormerod will miss the rest of the 2023 season after having further surgery on her ankle.
Surgery has included the insertion of metal pins that resulted in “infection after infection” meaning the metal has had to be removed.
“Long story short, my body decided it no longer wanted some metal work in my ankle,” the 25-year-old said.
“Both antibiotics and an antibiotic IV wouldn’t work, so the metal work had to come out.
“Gutted to be missing this season’s contests after putting in so much hard work on my tricks, but I’ll be back soon, hopefully by spring!”
Ormerod was one of the Britain’s biggest medal hopes in 2018 before fracturing her heel three days before she was due to compete. Her operations since have included a skin graft using the skin of a pig.
She returned to the slopes in 2019 and in 2020 became the first British snowboarder to win the Crystal Globe – the overall World Cup title – but missed out on a medal at the 2022 Olympics.