Olympic medal contender Didier Cuche broke his right thumb
during a World Cup giant slalom, putting his participation at
the Vancouver Games in doubt, the Swiss ski federation said.
The super-G world champion traveled back to Switzerland and
will undergo surgery at the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich, the
federation said.
In his second run, Cuche hit the penultimate gate with his
right ski, fell and slid over the finish line. He was
disqualified for missing the final gate.
"More details regarding possible consequences for
participation at the Olympic Winter Games will be available
after the operation," the federation said in a statement.
The race was won by Ted Ligety of the United States.
The 35-year-old Cuche is among the Olympic favorites at
downhill, super-G and giant slalom. He has won one medal so
far - silver in super-G at the 1998 Nagano Games.
The men's downhill is the first Alpine skiing event in
Vancouver on February 13.
Cuche won both the super-G and the downhill at the
traditional Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbuehel, Austria, last
week. He has won a total of 13 World Cup titles - six in
downhill, four in super-G and three in giant slalom.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.