The Albany Gazette - Pinturault's Kitzbuehel crash again highlights ski risks

Markus Waldner, the International Ski Federation's Chief Race Director for the men's World Cup, called on organisers, coaches and ski industry figures to come together to work on how to best cut back on crashes in what has been an already injury-blighted season.

Of the 57 starters on Friday, 14 did not make it down the Streif course, which features 17 kilometres of safety netting, 180 impact protection mats and 160 air fences.

Medical crews in a helicopter were called upon three times to whisk injured racers off the piste to hospital in neighbouring Sankt-Johann.

Among that trio was France's Alexis Pinturault, the French team having already seen Cyprien Sarrazin -- the defending downhill champion in Kitzbuehel -- ruled out for the season after a horrific crash in Bormio last month.

Pinturault, a vastly experienced racer who is a three-time Olympic medallist making his comeback from a serious knee ligament injury sustained a year ago, was immediately ruled out of the February 4-16 world championships in Saalbach.

The French team clarified that Pinturault had suffered a "significant bone bruise on the medial tibial plateau, along with a small fracture and an injury to the medial meniscus".

While Pinturault will be repatriated to France, his teammate Florian Loriot was being kept overnight at hospital for observation after suffering a concussion, the team said.

Speaking at the team captains' meeting for Saturday's downhill, Waldner insisted that discussions would be held about the number of crashes in World Cup action in Saalbach.

Waldner said Friday's racing had left him with the "same feeling like my colleagues, mixed feelings, not super happy with so many crashes".

"The reason? A combination of reasons," he said.

- 'Something has to change' -

Although there have been significant developments in the protective equipment for the racers, such as back protectors, cut-proof race suits and airbags, not everyone is a fan.

Waldner also cites other issues such as increasingly "aggressive" equipment produced by the ski industry for elite racers and the hard, icy courses being prepared -- in part to try to level the playing ground so a racer with bib number one does not enjoy a huge advantage over bib number 30.

Link extreme snow preparation with improved equipment and "we are turning the dial", Waldner told Ski Racing media before the start of the current season.

"I think it's not the right place here, now, to discuss it," Waldner said Friday.

"In Saalbach we're going to have two meetings, one on February 6... and one on February 12, (when) we are on the same table with ski industry engineers and you guys, head coaches, also medical staff."

Waldner added: "We need to discuss because, for sure, something has to change. All agree.

"I think it's not only equipment, but we need to talk about the global situation, what we can change short term because we need to avoid all these crashes.

"We are on the limit... So we all need to cooperate (to find) the best solution to avoid all these injuries."

But Waldner is also pragmatic, telling Ski Racing that "this sport is connected with injuries".

"It is a high-risk sport. Otherwise, we'd play ping-pong. Here, everybody goes up (to the start) and knows the risk is there.

"We can reduce the risk; that is our job. But we need to stay together."

Closing up the team captains' meeting, Waldner said: "I wish you a nice evening, a successful race tomorrow, hopefully less crashes than today."

(T.Wright--TAG)