Akito Watabe, who won silver in the Nordic combined normal hill individual event at the Pyeongchang Games, was found to have broken a left rib before participating in an earlier World Cup event, it was learned Thursday.
Watabe broke the rib while doing ski-jumping practice on Feb. 2, just before the Feb. 3-4 World Cup event in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, according to the Ski Association of Japan. He reportedly was injured when he fell.
After winning the title in the event, Watabe had said, "My neck and chest hurt, but it doesn't bother me much."
He then had an examination at a medical institution and was found to have broken the rib.
Watabe also fell during a skiing workout in November last year, resulting in torn left rib cartilage.
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