Val d'Isere: Nadia Fanchini breaks wrist in DH crash

Italian skier Nadia Fanchini broke her right wrist and was briefly knocked unconscious when she crashed Friday during a women's World Cup downhill.

VAL D'ISERE, France — Italian skier Nadia Fanchini broke her right wrist and was briefly knocked unconscious when she crashed Friday during a women's World Cup downhill.
    Heading into the bottom section of the 2.5-kilometer (1.55-mile) Val d'Isere course, Fanchini misread a jump and was sent spinning backward across the piste before sliding headfirst into the netting.
    Onsite medical teams treated Fanchini for several minutes before taking her down the hill on a toboggan. She was fitted with a protective neckbrace and appeared to be conscious as she was taken into an ambulance.
    The Italian Winter Sports Federation said Fanchini broke her wrist in two places and sustained ''a slight head trauma,'' losing consciousness for a few seconds. She was taken to Mothiez hospital for further tests, which showed no further damage.
    Fanchini's older sister, Elena, wept at the bottom of the slope and had to be comforted by Italian team officials as footage of the crash was shown on a giant screen. Elena Fanchini finished the race in 30th place.
    American racer Lindsey Kildow, who finished third, said Fanchini had trouble with the Oreiller-Killy course last year.
    ''It's hard because you have to initiate your turn at the right time, and you have to stand strong on the ski,'' Kildow said. ''Sometimes you turn a little bit inside yourself.''
    Julia Mancuso of the United States won the race ahead of Renate Goetschl of Austria.

— The Associated Press