By Jack Burden

Jack Critchley, one of the emerging talents in men’s jumping, encountered a significant setback this past weekend when he sustained a serious collarbone injury during the Ski Fluid Classic. The injury, which occurred after recording impressive jumps of 223 feet (68 and 67.9 meters) in the tournament, resulted in three breaks to his clavicle.

Following the incident, the British athlete underwent surgery, requiring 11 screws to repair the damage. “Massive shoutout to Andrews Sports Medicine and Lyle Cain for doing an amazing job putting me back together!!” shared Critchley after his surgery.

Despite the setback, the 27-year-old, who holds the most professional jump victories of any man behind Ryan Dodd and Freddy Krueger over the past decade, remains optimistic about his recovery. He hopes for only “a few weeks break from jumping.”

The professional jump season in 2024 is relatively spread out, with upcoming events like the US Masters and Louisiana Night Jam followed by a break during the slalom-dominated European leg. The season will conclude with the California ProAm, MasterCraft Pro, and King of Darkness later in the year.

It is hoped that Critchley will recover in time for the final three events of the year. He is among the young jumpers aiming to challenge the established champions Dodd and Krueger throughout 2024.