Hirschbuehl injured in slalom training

Austrian technical specialist Christian Hirschbuehl has been injured on the Moelltaler glacier during slalom training. The 27-year-old Vorarlberg native suffered a medial ligament tear in his left knee and will be sidelined for six weeks.

Hirschbuehl will now miss the first two World Cup races in Soelden, Austria, and Levi, Finland. The Austrian enjoyed a breakout season on the World Cup slalom circuit last year, finishing in the points five times with a season’s best fourth-place finish coming in the iconic Wengen slalom on Jan. 15 en route to finishing the season ranked inside the top-30 slalom skiers in the world for the first time in his career.

Hirschbuehl’s next opportunity for World Cup starts will come Dec. 8-9 in Val d’Isere, France, at the annual Criterium de la Premier Neige.