French ski star Alexis Pinturault is airlifted from the slopes following terrifying crash that saw him tumble 50 meters… just six days after he became a dad for the first time
- Pinturault’s skis came off when he landed from a jump during a Super-G race
- He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital while the race was postponed for 25 minutes
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French skier Alexis Pinturault crashed during a World Cup super-G race on Friday and was flown off the course, just six days after becoming a father for the first time.
Pinturault, the 2021 overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist, crashed landing the Silberhorn jump as he approached the final section of the legendary Lauberhorn course in Wengen.
He leaned back on his skis before hitting the snow. His skis came off as he tumbled down the mountain, sliding about 50 meters before coming to a stop.
Race workers placed a warming blanket over Pinturault as they waited for a helicopter to land along the course and take him to a hospital. The race was postponed about 25 minutes.
32-year-old Pinturault and his wife Romane welcomed their daughter Olympe in the Swiss capital Bern last Saturday.
There are concerns about French skier Alexis Pinturault after a violent crash in Switzerland
Pinturault came off a jump during a Super-G race on the Lauberhorn course in Wengen
Pinturault’s skis came off, causing him to tumble and slide 50 meters (over 160 feet)
Medics attended to the French star, which led to the Super-G race being stopped for 25 minutes
Medics prepare French skier Alexis Pinturault to be taken by helicopter to a local hospital
He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital and his condition is currently unknown
A medical helicopter transports Alexis Pinturault to a local hospital in Switzerland
A few days ago, Pinturault celebrated the birth of his first child on social media
The Super-G is a fast downhill event where racers are given just one run to set a time
That day he was going to race a giant slalom in nearby Adelboden. Romane Pinturault travels with her husband as part of his entourage and handles media relations.
Pinturault returned to racing on Thursday with a career-best downhill result of ninth in Wengen.
He has rarely raced the major speed discipline in his long career, but is now concentrating on it and no longer races slalom.
Pinturault’s 34 career World Cup victories include one in super-G. Last year he also took bronze in super-G at the world championships in his hometown of Courchevel.
Super-G is an event similar to the downhill discipline of skiing, with the key difference being that racers make only one run to clock the fastest time.