11 months ago
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FRENCH SKI legend Alexis Pinturault was airlifted to hospital on Friday after a horror crash in a World Cup race.
Pinturault fell 50 metres after his skis detached whilst landing in a super-G race in Switzerland.
Getty
ReutersThe terrifying crash comes just six days after he became a dad for the first time.
He had been on the final section of the Lauberhorn course at Wengen when he attempted to land the Silberhorn jump.
Race workers immediately rushed to Pinturault after the fall and put a warming cover on him while they waited for a helicopter.
The 32-year-old was then taken to a local hospital by helivac, with the race delayed for 25 minutes.
Pinturault, who is a three-time Olympic medallist, and his wife Romane welcomed their daughter Olympe on Saturday.
He pulled out of a giant slalom race in Adelboden to attend the birth before returning to the slopes in Wengen on Thursday.
That return saw him secure a career-best downhill result of ninth.
Reuters
GettyPinturault has rarely raced the speed discipline during his career but made it his main focus from the start of the current season.
His decision has also seen him stop competing in slalom races.
Super-G is a similar discipline to downhill, with the key difference seeing racers make just one run to clock the fastest time.
Pinturault has 34 World Cup race wins across his career as well as claiming the overall title in the 2021 season.
The Frenchman also won a silver medal in the combined discipline and bronze in the giant slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang.
He had previously won bronze in the giant slalom in Sochi four years earlier.
Reuters
Reuters
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