French ski star Pinturault to undergo knee surgery next week after Wengen crash

PARIS (AP) — French ski star Alexis Pinturault will undergo knee surgery next week after sustaining a season-ending injury during a World Cup super-G race, the French skiing federation said Monday.

Pinturault, the overall World Cup champion in 2021 and a three-time Olympic medalist, crashed when landing the Silberhorn jump approaching the final section of the storied Lauberhorn course at Wengen last week. He was airlifted from the course, six days after he became a father for the first time.

The federation said Pinturault, who met a specialist on Monday, ruptured the cruciate ligaments and internal meniscus in his left knee. He will undergo surgery at a Lyon clinic.

Race workers put a warming cover on Pinturault as they waited for a helicopter to land by the course and take him to a hospital. The race was delayed for about 25 minutes. It was won by Cyprien Sarrazin, who raced minutes before his French teammate Pinturault.

Pinturault’s 34 career World Cup race wins include one in super-G. He also took bronze in super-G last year at the world championships held in his home town Courchevel.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/skiing