Dhe Norwegian ski star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde apparently suffered serious injuries in a major fall during the World Cup downhill in Wengen. The 31-year-old fell in the finish S of the longest run in the ski circuit and hit the safety fence with full force. His right ski was badly bent and Kilde was subsequently treated for his right leg.
Superstar Mikaela Shiffrin's boyfriend lay in the snow for minutes and finally had to be flown out by helicopter. The race was interrupted for around half an hour. It was “terrible” to watch, said Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin to ZDF. According to ORF, Kilde is said to have suffered a broken lower leg. TV images showed his leg being tied off. The Norwegian association initially did not announce a diagnosis and asked for patience.
Falling upsets ski professionals
Kilde had recently been ill and therefore went into the race weekend feeling weak. Nevertheless, he took third place in the shortened downhill on Thursday and in the Super-G on Friday.
After the race continued, the Swiss Marco Odermatt secured victory and celebrated what was probably his greatest success in the World Cup to date. After his victory on the shortened route on Thursday, the 26-year-old now also won the classic on the entire, longest downhill route in the ski circuit.
The German downhill skiers experienced the next debacle. None of the top athletes made it into the top 20 on the Lauberhorn. The Frenchman Sarrazin, who won the Super-G ahead of Odermatt the day before, came second, as on Thursday (+0.59 seconds). South Tyrolean Dominik Paris took third place (+1.92).
Kilde's fall upset some athletes. “It was hell today,” said Romed Baumann on ZDF. “The break really threw me off course, I was starving.” In the lower section it was “almost black before the eyes” and “it was really bad to drive”.
It was a similar story for Thomas Dreßen, who literally gave up after the Kernen-S and crossed the finish line almost twelve seconds behind. Andreas Sander was withdrawn due to a fall by Cameron Alexander (Canada), third in the World Championships, and had to start twice.
There had already been violent crashes in the previous races in Wengen. The Swiss Marco Kohler in the shortened downhill on Thursday and the Frenchman Alexis Pinturault in the Super-G on Friday each suffered serious knee injuries and will be out for the rest of the season.
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