The head coach of Australia's Paralympic team says the death of top para-snowboarder Matthew Robinson has hit the squad hard, as the team prepare to wear armbands in tribute to their fallen mate.
Robinson died from serious neck and spinal injuries sustained in a crash at the IPC World Cup finals in La Molina, Spain on February 12.
After spending eight days in hospital in Barcelona, the 29-year-old was cleared by medical staff to be transported to his home city of Melbourne.
But he suffered a cardiac arrest during a scheduled refuelling stop in Kuwait, and could not be revived.
"The news of Matt's passing was devastating and it certainly hit the team hard," Steve Graham said.
"Snowboarding is a dangerous sport but you never think something like this could happen to someone.
"He'll certainly be in our thoughts in everything we do in the lead up to and during the Games."
A day before the accident, Robinson had secured the overall IPCAS Para-Snowboarding World Cup title with a fourth place finish.
Although para-snowboard will make its debut on the Paralympic program when the Sochi Games open on March 7, Robinson's classification will not be contested.
The team's three competing snowboarders are currently in Germany fine-tuning their form before they land in the Russian city on March 3.
Meanwhile, Australia's alpine skiers Toby Kane, Cameron Rahles-Rahbula and Melissa Perrine will wear armbands to honour Robinson when they compete in this week's World Cup finals in Tarvisio, Italy.
In place of traditional black, the armbands will be sky blue - Robinson's favourite colour - as the trio contest the downhill and super-combined events.
With unseasonably warm temperatures across much of Europe in recent weeks, the team has struggled to find good snow for training and competition.
"We can't seem to take a trick at the moment with the snow," said Torino 2006 bronze medallist Kane.
"In saying that, we've done some incredible training in Austria on salted snow, and in the wet.
"Not ideal but I don't know how ideal Sochi is going to be."
Racing in Tarvisio runs from Tuesday to Thursday.
