Alpine skiing
From an Austrian perspective, Marco Schwarz crashed the last descent of the year in Bormio on Thursday. The overall World Cup leader toppled the infamous Stelvio in mid-section and slid into the guardrail. The Carinthian man had to be airlifted out by helicopter.
Thrown off during the right-hand bend in the middle section of the Stelvio, which was as usual bumpy and icy, Schwarz had to be supported by the trainers as he was unable to get out of the drop zone. As can be seen in television footage, Schwarz was unable to put any weight on his right leg.
The 28-year-old was airlifted to hospital for further tests. The Carinthian, who won the Madonna di Campiglio slalom before Christmas to lead the overall World Cup, had a splinter in his right leg. Traffic was blocked for about half an hour. France's Cyprien Sarrazin led the way.
This wouldn't be the first serious injury of his career for Schwarz. In February 2019, weeks after winning three medals at the World Championships in Aare, the all-rounder suffered a torn cruciate ligament in a super-G as part of a mix-up in Bansko. The season ended early for Black. In early November 2021, he tore the syndesmotic ligament in his left ankle during a training fall, severely immobilizing him throughout the winter.
