French alpine skier Ken Caillot suffered a crash during training for the prestigious Hahnenkamm World Cup races in Kitzbuehel, Austria, but escaped with only a bruise. The incident highlights the dangers of the challenging Streif course ahead of the Super-G on Friday and downhill on Saturday. Swiss racer Marco Odermatt aims to claim victory in the iconic downhill event.
On Wednesday, French racer Ken Caillot crashed high on the 3.3km-long Streif course during a training run for the Hahnenkamm World Cup races in Kitzbuehel, Austria. Starting with bib number 59, Caillot was evacuated by helicopter but reported no serious injuries. 'I haven't broken anything,' he said on social media. 'I got off incredibly lightly, just a big bruise on my back. I have a little star watching over me,' he added, crediting his airbag and helmet for the protection. The crash comes weeks before the Winter Olympics, where men's alpine events will be held in Bormio, site of other recent French accidents, including teammate Alexis Pinturault's fall in Kitzbuehel last year and Cyprien Sarrazin's season-ending injury there. Giovanni Franzoni of Italy topped the two training runs, following his first World Cup win in Wengen last weekend, dedicated to his late teammate Matteo Franzoso, who died in a training crash in Chile in September. The Hahnenkamm, debuting in 1931, is renowned as the 'Super Bowl of ski racing,' with racers reaching speeds of 140km/h on an 85-percent gradient course featuring 80-metre jumps. Austrian-Dutch racer Marcel Hirscher called it 'the benchmark,' stating, 'Simply being a good skier isn't good enough. Winning in Kitzbuehel is part of [a complete ski biography].' Safety measures include 17km of netting, 180 impact protection mats, and 160 air fences. The downhill offers 101,000 euros in prize money, part of a 1m-euro pot over three days. Swiss Marco Odermatt, world No. 1 in downhill, super-G, and giant slalom, seeks his first Hahnenkamm downhill win on Saturday. Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr noted the risks: 'We're skiing down the mountain on two planks. Everybody takes a risk, and knows it.' Norwegian Aleksander Aamondt Kilde added, 'We think we're superheroes... but we're just like everyone else, only a bit crazy.' Italian Dominik Paris, a three-time Kitzbuehel downhill winner, advised, 'Respect will keep you safe. If you have fear, maybe it's time to stop.' The event draws hundreds of thousands of fans to the Tirol valley resort for its thrilling spectacle.
