Resi Stiegler, America's Giant Slalom national champion, was hospitalised with a broken left forearm, torn ligaments in her right knee and a bruised face and hip after crashing halfway down the course during the women's World Cup Giant Slalom race in Lienz (Austria) today. Apparently, she will be unable to race for several weeks. Denise Karbon (Italy) won the event with a combined time of 2:2.73. Julia Mancuso (US) finished 2nd, 1.28 seconds behind, while Nicole Gius (Italy) was 3rd, 1.62 seconds behind Karbon.
...Stiegler lost balance as her skis made contact in a curve. She then fell and went through two rows of gates at the edge of the course and rolled down about another 2m. The gates were supposed to break a crash and prevent the skier from dropping down the slope, but race director Siegried Vergeiner denied the course security was inadequate. The race was interrupted for almost half an hour after the crash.
See:
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/skiing/news/story?id=3170803
Austrian skier Hans Grugger will miss the rest of the World Cup season after surgery on his left knee today, needed after injuries probably caused in November at a downhill training run in Lake Louise (US), the Austrian Ski Federation said in a statement.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=skiing&id=3171021