Norwegian alpinist picked up by helicopter after horror fall

NRK is informed by the alpine national team’s sports manager, Claus Ryste.

It was just before the finish line that the Norwegian lost his balance and fell into the finish area. He almost somersaulted and landed hard on his back.

Røa was left lying down after the fall and health personnel quickly arrived to help the Norwegian. Shortly afterwards a helicopter was flown in, and at one point there were about eight people standing around Røa in the target area after the fall.

After a few minutes he was finally lifted onto a stretcher and hoisted up by the helicopter, which flew him on to hospital.

Shortly afterwards, Ryste confirmed to NRK that Røa suffered a fracture in his calf. A little later on Friday, NRK is informed that Røa has undergone a successful operation at the hospital in Kitzbühel.

He has also undergone several examinations which rule out other injuries beyond the broken bone, and Røa’s condition should be good.

The Ski Association, via media manager Claes-Tommy Herland, communicated on Friday afternoon that Røa will remain in hospital until at least tomorrow. They further ask that Røa rest in the meantime and that more information will come on Saturday.

– Terrible to see

– Henrik Røa is on his way to the finish line in perfectly straight lines and at 140 kilometers per hour. The edge takes a little hold and cuts out and sends Henrik in a somersault through the goal and into the goal area here, where he has been lying for a long time. It’s terrible to see pictures like that, said NRK’s ​​alpine expert Lars Elton Myhre about the fall in the target area.

The NRK expert was in the goal area himself, and is impressed by what he has seen in Austria.

– That he has received very good help very quickly, there is no doubt about that. But as mediators of what happens down here, you also feel the tension we are helping to pump up how dangerous this trail is, and it is. When it happens, it’s not like that… You can feel it a bit, that it’s not so nice anymore, says a distinguished NRK expert.

Here you can see Henrik Røa’s downhill experience in pictures:

Source trouble

Downhill favorite Aleksander Aamodt Kilde started weakly, but later the Norwegian was to save himself masterfully and was about to take over the lead. But with the short distance to the target area, many probably had their hearts in their throats.

Because in the last corner the 30-year-old struggled mightily, and was a few centimeters away from the advertising signs at high speed. It happened while he was standing on one ski and was clearly out of balance. However, he recovered in the end and ended up in 16th place.

Kilde himself feels that the start was rough, but that he eventually found his rhythm again.

– I don’t have the skis completely under me as I would like, and then I find them again. In the middle it’s good, then I drive good turns, and all the way to the Haussberg edge. Then I try to go cleaner than what I’ve done before, and then I go very far on that bullet in the incline, and come a little behind when I land, and then it’s… It was a near-death experience, so , says Kilde to NRK.

The Norwegian alpine star goes on to say that it went really well, and he had to make the choice then and there whether to go for it or “give up”.

– I tried to manage it, and I managed it, but if it had been in the middle, I would have gone straight through the gate. You either have to give up before you try or try one hundred percent, and that’s what I did. But yes, it was difficult, says Kilde and laughs.

– That was close

The Norwegian support apparatus stood wide-eyed and watched Kilde make his way inside.

– Thank goodness he made it there, said NRK’s ​​commentator Espen Ween.

– What a development. It was close, he continued.

At the goal area was Svindal, who was clearly impressed that Kilde recovered and avoided a nasty fall.

– Aleks, with his hand in a bandage, fights for victory right to the end. It’s almost like he’s sniffling, and with what happened yesterday we should be quite happy. What he delivers is raw because he fights for the victory until the end, says Svindal about his former team-mate.

Overjoyed Sejersted after sensation

Adrian Smiseth Sejersted delivered very well in Kitzbühel, and is about to take the podium. He fought for the victory for a long time, but is currently in line for a strong fourth place.

– Drive, then! said an overjoyed Sejersted in the goal area.

Along the way, a jumping Kilde was seen watching his teammate drive to what was then third place.

– Fantastic. It is so deserved. And damn, the way he drove. He was so solid and is smart where he should be smart. Doesn’t take too many risks, is just solid, plain and simple. Fantastic. He is not too far from victory either. Damn father, raw, Adrian, said Source.

Sejersted’s teammate is full of admiration, and now he believes a real upswing can come.

– I think he will only shine from here. For my part, this is just insanely good, says Kilde.

Touched commentator

NRK’s ​​expert Lars Elton Myhre was also very impressed and was clearly moved by the achievement. He had to take several breaks while commenting.

– He comes here and shows it. That means… He’s punishing Kriechmayr down there. He has his own line in the incline. Oh, it’s …, says a moved Myhre.

– We stubbornly had our hearts in our throats. Now we have a lump in our throat, says co-commentator Ween.

Kilde’s Swiss rival Marco Odermatt was one of the favourites, but he also got into big trouble when he lost his balance. The Swiss stood on one leg for a long time, and amazingly managed to recover.

– How does he manage to stay on his feet there? It’s one of the wildest things, said commentator Ween along the way.

On Friday afternoon, it became clear that Odermatt will sit out Saturday’s descent due to an injury he sustained in Friday’s race.

The Swiss was about to fall badly before he saved himself with a cry of distress. The maneuver he did there is said to have led to him sustaining an injury which now means that he has to stand over the slope on Saturday.

Odermatt leads the World Cup clearly overall and is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde’s biggest competitor in the battle for the overall ball.

Vincent Kriechmayr won Friday’s downhill race in Kitzbühel after securing super time ahead of Niels Hintermann and Dominik Paris.