(Wengen) Downhill star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde crashed hard against the fences near the World Cup finish on Saturday, appearing to injure his right leg before being taken by helicopter to a hospital.
For the second day in a row in Wengen, a former men’s world champion was transported this way to Switzerland’s most famous ski resort.
On Friday, French star Alexis Pinturault suffered the same fate in super-G. The 2021 world champion, who became a father for the first time last weekend, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The race was won by the Swiss Marco Odermatt ahead of the French Cyprien Sarrazin and the Italian Dominik Paris, on the long Lauberhorn route (4.3 km).
Kilde, the 2020 champion, is the longtime partner of American alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin.
He underwent lengthy treatments before a helicopter arrived to transport him to hospital.
Skiers injured in Wengen are usually transported to a hospital in Interlaken.
There was a speed event for the third day in a row — an unusual occurrence due to the modified men’s World Cup schedule, following a canceled downhill last month in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
“Yes, I think it’s excessive [three races in as many days],” Odermatt told Swiss broadcaster RTS. There were several falls. »
Seven skiers did not complete the course, including Kilde.
The 31-year-old Norwegian finished third in a shorter downhill on Thursday and third again in a super-G on Friday.
Kilde has twice won the World Cup season-long downhill title.
Odermatt won in 2:25.64, followed by Sarrazin (2:26.23) and Paris (2:27.56).
On the Canadian side, James Crawford finished 21st, Brodie Seger 37th and Jeffrey Read 39th.
There will be a slalom on Sunday in Wengen.
