Kitzbühel, Austria — French skiing icon Alexis Pinturault was airlifted from the slopes following a right knee injury sustained during a men’s World Cup super-G event on Friday. The French ski federation confirmed that Pinturault sustained a significant bone bruise on the medial plateau along with a minor fracture of the medial meniscus, prompting plans for him to return to France for further treatment.
Marco Odermatt from Switzerland secured victory in the race, marking the last men’s super-G before the upcoming world championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, scheduled for February 4-16.
Pinturault, who has earned three Olympic medals and 34 World Cup race victories, including the overall championship in 2021, has a total of eight medals from previous world championships, three of which are gold.
Friday’s race marked just his eighth appearance on the slopes since making his comeback from an 11-month hiatus due to an injury to his left knee.
In addition to Pinturault’s crash, fellow French skier Florian Loriot also faced a mishap at the same section of the course and required airlifting due to undisclosed injuries. Other competitors, including Italy’s Dominik Paris and Austrians Lukas Feurstein and Otmar Striedinger, also encountered falls yet seemed to escape serious harm.
As Pinturault approached a left turn, he hit a bump that caused his right ski to collide with a gate, leading him off the track. Although he initially managed to get back on his feet, he quickly laid down again while signaling to the medical team that he was experiencing discomfort in his right knee.
The helicopter arrived shortly after, with Pinturault being accompanied by his wife Romane and their one-year-old daughter Olympe, who watched from the finish area. Romane is part of Pinturault’s entourage, managing his media relations.
This incident follows a severe crash Pinturault experienced in Wengen last year, where he ruptured the cruciate ligaments and internal meniscus in his left knee. After undergoing surgery, he made his return to racing in Beaver Creek, Colorado, last December. Just last week, he made the decision to sit out the super-G event held in the Swiss resort.
