Bryon Friedman injured in Chamonix training run

Bryon Friedman injured in Chamonix training runBryon Friedman fell in the first training run of the World Cup downhill at Chamonix today, breaking his leg and ending a promising season. The 24-year-old American was flown by helicopter to a hospital nearby Sallanches, France, where doctors found fractures to his right tibia and fibula, and broken bones in his left hand. He underwent surgery immediately.

“He crashed right next to where I was standing,” said John McBride, head men’s speed coach for the U.S. Ski Team, in a conversation with the Associated Press. “He’d cut up his face a bit but he was conscious. There was no head injury. He was in a fair amount of pain. It’s a real beating for us sure.”

Chamonix is hosting the prestigious Kandahar race this weekend, a downhill and slalom on Saturday and Sunday. The downhill on the shoulder of Mont Blanc is special for Friedman, who scored his first World Cup top-10 result there one year ago.

Friedman, running 29th, lost control on the course and hit the netting. Organizers stopped the training run for more than 20 minutes to evacuate him — by toboggan, and then helicopter — before resuming the run.

First downhill training run
Chamonix, France
January 5, 2005
1.) Johann Grugger (AUT) 1:59.12
2.) Fritz Strobl (AUT) +0.07
3.) Bode Miller (USA) +0.27
4.) Hermann Maier (AUT) +0.38
5.) Michael Walchhoffer (AUT) +0.53