Auto Racing
After his skiing accident, Schumacher is critical
PARIS – Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery following a skiing accident in the French Alps on Sunday, doctors said.
The Grenoble University Hospital Center said the retired driver arrived at the clinic in a coma and underwent immediate surgery for a serious head trauma.
It was not clear whether the 44-year-old German still was in a coma, but the hospital statement, which was signed by an anesthesiologist, a neurosurgeon and Marc Penaud, the hospital’s deputy director, said “he remains in a critical condition.”
The retired driver fell while skiing off-piste in Meribel earlier Sunday and hit his head on a rock, according to a statement from the resort. Resort managers said he had been wearing a helmet and was conscious when rescuers first responded to the scene.
World Cup Ski Racing
Svindal skis to his 4th win this Olympic season
BORMIO, Italy – Aksel Lund Svindal is skiing as if he’s on cruise control. Hard or soft, sunny or dark, the Norwegian just keeps on winning.
For Bode Miller and the rest of the U.S. Ski Team, however, this World Cup season has been a different story in downhill.
While Miller’s form has improved in recent weeks, he took a step backward Sunday when he finished 35th in a race won with a perfect run from Svindal.
Svindal mastered the fresh snow conditions on the Stelvio course for his fourth victory of the Olympic season, with just 40 days to go to the Sochi Games. The Norwegian clocked 1 minute, 54.08 seconds to finish 0.39 seconds ahead of Hannes Reichelt of Austria.
Erik Guay of Canada placed third, 0.51 back, for a strong follow-up to his downhill victory in Val Gardena a week ago.
Svindal has finished in the top five in his last six World Cup downhill races and in 12 of his last 14 dating back to March 2012.
Schild edges Shiffrin for a record 35th slalom win
LIENZ, Austria – Overcoming several injury-plagued seasons, Marlies Schild of Austria finally set the best mark for most World Cup slalom victories Sunday by winning her 35th race to overtake Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider on top of the all-time list.
The 32-year-old Schild is a four-time World Cup slalom champion, but she missed a host of races after breaking a leg in 2008 and then tore ligaments last year. That meant she was stuck on 33 slalom wins for close to two years until winning in Courchevel, France, this month.
Schild got her record-setting win in impressive style. Lying 0.69 seconds behind in sixth after the opening leg, she used a blistering second run to finish in 1 minute, 55.63 seconds and beat American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin, who led the competition after the first run. Shiffrin finished 0.41 behind.
Olympic slalom champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany was third, 0.63 behind Schild.
The victory was Schild’s 54th career podium in slalom. She is now tied with fellow Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell (downhill) for the second most podiums in one discipline. Only another Austrian skier, Renate Goetschl, has more, with 59 top-three finishes in downhill.
Vonn’s knee swells and her return is questionable
LIENZ, Austria – Lindsey Vonn’s head coach said no date has been set for the injured skier’s return to the World Cup, and she might not compete at all before the Sochi Olympics in February.
Vonn flew back to Vail last week after hurting her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race in France.
“Her knee was swollen again after Val d’Isère,” U.S. women’s head coach Alex Hoedlmoser said. “She is working with the guys from Red Bull and the medical staff to get that under control.”
Hoedlmoser added that “there is no decision yet if, or where she is going to race ahead of the Olympics.”
Vonn hopes to defend her Olympic downhill title on Feb. 12.
Associated Press
