KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) β The disputed and sometimes dangerous jump at the end of the Kitzbuehel course is back.
Seven years after American skier Scott Macartney’s near-fatal crash, racers in Saturday’s downhill will be airborne again just before crossing the finish line.
Organizers changed the bottom of the hill after Macartney in 2008 and Switzerland’s Daniel Albrecht the following year suffered life-threatening brain injuries when they lost their balance in the air in two similar, horrifying crashes.
Organizers say the section is now better marked and less dangerous, and the jump hasn’t caused major troubles in the two trainings this week.
Hannes Trinkl, the FIS director for men’s speed races, says “it’s wide enough and it’s very important that it’s not too high. It’s a really nice jump.”
