Crash horror on the Streif: World Champion and his teammate transported away by helicopter

Kitzbühel - It's hard to believe what has been going on in the alpine skiing circusin recent weeks and months in terms of serious falls. On the legendary Streif in Kitzbühel, several athletes have already suffered serious knee injuries during training.

Alexis Pinturault (33) is brought down to the valley by rescue helicopter.
Alexis Pinturault (33) is brought down to the valley by rescue helicopter.  © IMAGO / GEPA pictures

Three-time world champion Alexis Pinturault (33) and his French team-mate Florian Loriot (26) also crashed heavily in the super-G on Friday morning. Only a year ago, Pinturault had torn his cruciate ligament in Wengen.

Both athletes had to be transported away by rescue helicopter. Loriot received a blow in an S-curve after the famous Seidlalmsprung, the binding of one of the two skis came loose and the Frenchman hit his face on the piste with full force.

The rescue team rushed to him immediately and it quickly became clear that the helicopter would have to take off. His team colleague and the two Austrians Lukas Feuerstein (23) and Otmar Striedinger (33) had already crashed in the same place.

While Feuerstein and Striedinger were able to free themselves from the safety net without any problems and ski down the slope on their own, it was a completely different story for Pinturault.

Alexis Pinturault and his French team-mate Florian Loriot crash badly on the Streif

Pinturault shortly before his fall on the Streif.
Pinturault shortly before his fall on the Streif.  © IMAGO / GEPA pictures

The 33-year-old got stuck on a gate, twisted completely and fell.

The silver medal winner at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics wanted to get up again straight away, but then realized that he couldn't do it.

Once again, the rescue services had to be called out and the helicopter had to take off. It is not yet clear how seriously he and Loriot are injured, but it didn't look good for either of them.

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt is in the lead ahead of Austria's Raphael Haaser and Switzerland's Stefan Rogentin.

There had already been serious crashes in training on Wednesday, in which German racer Jacob Schramm (26), among others, tore cruciate ligaments in both knees, ending his season.

The examinations will show whether the two Frenchmen will be spared.