Winter Olympics: James Woods 'unable to move without pain' before slopestyle

James Woods finished 30th in the big air event at Beijing 2022, but slopestyle is his specialism

British skier James Woods says he is "full of painkillers and strapped up in bed" on the eve of the slopestyle event because of a back injury.

The 30-year-old says his back has "completely seized up" and he is unable to move just hours before Tuesday's freestyle event.

"Hopefully I wake up from a good sleep feeling ready for action," he said.

"I will absolutely be out there and will give everything I can to shred my hardest."

• Follow live day-10 action from Beijing 2022
• James Woods & the 'internal battle' when counter culture meets elite sport

Woods is aiming for his first Olympic medal - which could be Britain's first of the Beijing Games - in the slopestyle.

The event sees athletes ski down a course while performing tricks over rails and jumps.

In 2019, Woods became the first British man to win World Championship gold on snow and returns to the Olympic competition after taking a two-year break from the sport.

While not rated among the favourites for gold, Woods showed in a sixth-place finish at the 2022 X Games that he was not far from his very best.

But, after suffering a hip injury before the Sochi slopestyle final, Woods has now been left to rue another fitness issue.

"Eight years later to the day and once again in some uncanny, ironic, sadistic, joke of a coincidence I'm again full of painkillers and strapped up in bed the night before Olympic slopestyle," he wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.

"Unfortunately this morning my back completely seized up due to heavy landings throughout the big air event and slopestyle practice and I've been unable to move freely or without pain all day.

"Obviously my head is screwed on straight and I have a rad team sensibly helping me get dialled.

"It's just so hard to believe that this is happening again, in Sochi it was my hip after a specific crash in practice but the feeling of unreadiness and doubt are all too familiar."

• What happened to Shergar? A prize-winning super horse is kidnapped from an enigmatic owner
• Is this a new alternative to dating apps? Find out the unusual way one man is going about finding his perfect other half