Departure from St. Moritz
Ski ace Gisin falls badly: cervical spine injured
During training for the first downhill run of this winter, the Swiss Gisin falls badly and a helicopter blows her away. In the evening there will be an update from the two-time Olympic champion.
The Swiss ski racer Michelle Gisin fell badly during training for the World Cup downhill race in St. Moritz and injured her cervical spine. The 32-year-old fell at high speed in front of a left-hand bend and crashed violently into the safety fence. After initial treatment, she was taken by helicopter to the hospital in St. Moritz – from there she later went on to a special clinic in Zurich.
As the Swiss ski team announced, the two-time Olympic champion will have to undergo surgery on her cervical spine that same evening. The athlete “is doing well under the circumstances,” it was said. Gisin can “move his arms and legs normally”.
Further injury to knee and wrist
Gisin also injured his right wrist and left knee in the training accident. It was said that it was not possible to say at first how difficult it would be. First, the cervical spine must be stabilized.
Gisin won Olympic gold in combination in 2018 and 2022 and also won bronze in the Super-G almost four years ago in Beijing. For the Swiss women’s team, the experienced athlete’s serious injury means the third serious loss of the winter: Lara Gut-Behrami can no longer compete in the Olympic season due to a torn cruciate ligament. Corinne Suter will be out for several weeks due to bruises and a lower leg injury after a training fall in St. Moritz.
The first descent of the season is on the program in St. Moritz this Friday (10.15 a.m./ARD and Eurosport).
dpa
