Add a knee injury to the list of problems confronting Canadian speed skier Louis-Pierre Helie after a training run crash at Bormio, Italy.

Helie was airlifted off the Bormio race track after a fall Dec. 28 with a head injury. He lost consciousness briefly causing the full array of procedural medical tests. According to Canadian team Doctor Stephen French a CT scan “indicated a stable brain injury that will hopefully continue to improve from a neurological perspective and he has remained alert and in good spirits.” He was scheduled to be released from the Innsbruck trauma center today (Dec. 30).

While the concussion appears to be on the mend, it appears now Helie also sustained a significant ACL tear of his left knee in the crash as well. That injury will be evaluated once he returns to Canada.

“The athlete’s return to competition remains uncertain at this time,” Dr. French said.

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”