While Olympic champion Dale Begg-Smith looks ahead to defending his title at the Vancouver Games - after a third consecutive World Cup win - his teammate and friend Ramone Cooper is coming to grips with his 2010 Olympic dream being over.

On the same hill that Begg-Smith shattered his knee in January 2009, Cooper sustained a major knee injury in training which has ruled him out of the Olympics next month.

The Perisher Blue 21-year-old had started the season with a ninth placing, the second top ten of his career, and was looking forward to a strong performance at the Games.

"I was holding onto a glimmer of hope that it (knee injury) was not as bad as first thought," Cooper said.

"But the MRI results show a torn PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), partial MCL (medial collateral ligament) tear, a partial lateral meniscus tear, another tear on something I’m not sure of, and bone bruising."

"I'm extremely devastated."

Fellow AIS skier Sam Hall finished in 40th place on 19.68 points. Hall is on the cusp of finishing the qualifying period within the required top 30 for a spot in the Games.

Begg-Smith’s comeback has been nothing short of remarkable and he looks on track to be the first moguls skier to defend an Olympic crown if he remains injury free.

On the World Cup standings, Begg-Smith has now amassed 395 points from his five events, 69 points clear of his nearest rival, Swedish skier Jesper Bjoernlund, gold medallist in the opening two events of the season.

Defending World Cup champion Alexandre Bilodeau is in third place on 205 points, after finishing in 39th place.

AOC with OWI