Alpine skiing-French alpine team suffers setback as Pinturault airlifted after crash


Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Men's Super G - Kitzbuehel, Austria - January 24, 2025 France's Alexis Pinturault is carried away in a helicopter after crashing REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Reuters) - The French alpine team endured a tough day on the Austrian slopes of Kitzbuehel during Friday's World Cup Super-G race after Alexis Pinturault had to be airlifted to hospital following a crash.

The French Ski Federation (FFS) said that the 2021 overall World Cup champion suffered a "severe bone bruise, a tibial plateau fracture, and inner meniscus damage in his right knee."

It's another setback for the 33-year-old, who suffered a major injury last year when he ruptured his cruciate ligament during a race in Wengen.

The FFS did not provide any details on the recovery period for Pinturault.

Compatriot Florian Loriot also required an airlift following a heavy crash in the same turn as Pinturault.

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt ultimately secured victory, finishing 0.11 seconds ahead of Raphael Haaser from Austria, while fellow Swiss Stefan Rogentin claimed third place.

The challenging course had 14 racers fail to finish, with several competitors expressing concerns about shadows affecting visibility on the slopes.

"You can feel it when the conditions change, especially in the middle section—it’s bumpy and dark. That was the hardest part for me because of the visibility," Rogentin said.

(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Others

Biathlon-Thingnes Boe breaks gold medal record with sprint win
Biathlon-Norway's Thingnes Boe crushes field to grab sprint gold
Australian Rules-AFL test creative waters with rare exhibition match
Alpine skiing-Rast wins slalom gold as Shiffrin misses out
Report: ESPN to give up F1 rights after 2025
Rallying-Evans leads tight battle in snowy Sweden
Doubts over Stuart’s position in RTG programme
Surfing-Gay surfer Wright to compete in UAE after assurances of safety
Additional funding could be in store for Aruwin after impressive show
NSC set to appoint new DG

Others Also Read