KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand bobsleigh team's first experience at a world championships has ended prematurely in the United States after a crash during training left driver Alan Henderson with a back injury.
The team, who are hoping to compete at next February's Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, had to pull out of this weekend's four-man competition at Lake Placid in New York State after the high speed spill.
Henderson lost control on turn eight of the circuit during the first round of training on Wednesday and New Zealand had to withdraw from the competition ahead of the third practice session after he failed to recover sufficiently.
The remainder of the team escaped unscathed.
The crash marks the end of the fledgling team's first season of competition.
A continuation of the programme is now dependent on further financial support from Sparc, the Government's sports funding agency.
The team comprising Henderson, Willie Trew, Chris Donaldson, Sam Higgie and Tom Davie, had been aiming for a top-15 finish.
Earlier, New Zealand finished second last among a 32-strong field in the two-man bobsleigh, an unfamiliar event used to give Henderson an opportunity to practice on the course on a sled borrowed from the Americans.
- NZPA
