Home SPORTS French Skiers Pinturault and Loriot Injured in Kitzbuehel Crashes

French Skiers Pinturault and Loriot Injured in Kitzbuehel Crashes

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The Kitzbuehel super-G was marred by crashes, including injuries to French skiers Alexis Pinturault and Florian Loriot.



Marco Odermatt delivered a masterclass performance to claim victory in the men's World Cup super-G in Kitzbuehel on Friday. The 27-year-old Swiss skier consolidated his place atop the overall and super-G standings with a time of one minute and 13.25 seconds down the 2.1 km-long Streifalm course. Odermatt's victory was his 44th in the World Cup and seventh this season.


Odermatt's impressive display of aggressive skiing saw him hit speeds in excess of 125km/h on the hard-packed, icy slope down the famed Hahnenkamm mountain. He described the super-G discipline as “the most difficult discipline to have a perfect run from the first until the last gate.” Despite the challenges, Odermatt's near-faultless performance earned him the top spot on the podium.


Austria's Raphael Haaser took second place, finishing 0.11 seconds behind Odermatt, while Swiss skier Stefan Rogentin rounded out the podium, a further 0.19 seconds adrift. Odermatt's victory came with a significant prize, as he scooped 100,000 euros for the win. With two further similar jackpots on offer for Saturday's downhill and Sunday's slalom, Odermatt is well-positioned to make the most of the weekend.


Following his victory, Odermatt expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, saying, “A big goal has been achieved. If you can leave Kitzbuehel as a winner, this is already a very good weekend.” He also revealed his ambition to win the downhill event in Kitzbuehel, stating, “I'm very, very happy with the race today... My big goal is to win the downhill in Kitzbuehel.”


Unfortunately, the day was marred by heavy crashes involving French skiers Alexis Pinturault and Florian Loriot. Both athletes were evacuated by helicopter after suffering injuries during their runs. The incident served as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in high-speed skiing competitions.



In a fitting tribute, the slopeside commentary team played Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer' over the tannoy as Marco Odermatt began his descent. However, the Swiss skier didn't need any extra motivation, as he went on to deliver a flawless performance. After his win, Odermatt acknowledged that he felt some pressure lift off his shoulders, especially given the numerous crashes that occurred throughout the day.


The series of crashes that marred the event was a concerning sight, particularly with the World Ski Championships just around the corner, scheduled to take place from February 4th to 16th in Saalbach, Austria. The challenging course conditions, combined with tight course settings, proved to be a hazardous combination for many skiers.


One of the most alarming crashes involved French skier Alexis Pinturault, who hit icy ruts that had been worsened by heavy rain on Thursday. The impact sent Pinturault sliding backwards into the safety netting. Despite initially getting to his feet, Pinturault was quickly assisted by on-slope help, who removed his ski bindings. He was then placed on a stretcher and evacuated by helicopter.


The French team later revealed that Pinturault had suffered significant injuries, including a bone bruise on the medial tibial plateau, a small fracture, and an injury to the medial meniscus. As a result, Pinturault will be forced to miss the upcoming World Ski Championships and will be repatriated to France.


Fellow French skier Florian Loriot also suffered a crash, seemingly giving himself a nasty faceplant at the same turn where Pinturault went down. The French team confirmed that Loriot had suffered a concussion and would be kept overnight at the Sankt-Johann hospital for observation.


The French team's woes continued with the crashes involving Alexis Pinturault and Florian Loriot, which came on the heels of a harrowing accident in Bormio that befell defending Kitzbuehel downhill champion Cyprien Sarrazin. Sarrazin's season was cut short after he underwent surgery to treat internal bleeding in his head.


Johan Eliasch, head of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and candidate for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee, acknowledged the risks inherent in the sport. “It is sometimes a dangerous sport,” he said. “People are pushing their limits, accidents happen. It's very unfortunate.” Eliasch attributed the crashes to a combination of factors, saying, “It's not the speed so much... sometimes it's very bad luck.”


The challenging conditions on the Streifalm course took their toll on several other skiers, including Italian veteran Dominik Paris, a three-time winner in the downhill. Paris failed to complete the course, joining a list of casualties that included Austrians Lukas Feurstein and Otmar Striedinger, Czech Jan Zabystran, Switzerland's Lars Roesti, American Sam Morse, and Frenchmen Nils Alphand and Matthieu Bailet.


Local skiing legend Franz Klammer, a four-time winner in Kitzbuehel, expressed concern about the safety of the course. “Racing was at the limit,” he told Austrian broadcaster ORF. “The snow is very aggressive, the skis are very aggressive. We should pull the ripcord when it comes to injuries.”


Home favourite Vincent Kriechmayr was a notable absentee from the Kitzbuehel weekend, having suffered a medial ligament strain in his right knee in Wengen last week. Kriechmayr's decision to opt out of the event was likely a precautionary measure to avoid exacerbating the injury.




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