Alpine skiing-Norway suffer second blow after Moeller injured in training run

BORMIO, Italy, Feb 4 - Norway suffered a second blow this week as racer Fredrik Moeller was taken to hospital after crashing in the men’s first downhill training run at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Wednesday.

Norway, who are usually among the top finishers in men’s alpine skiing, have already lost Aleksander Aamodt Kilde who has not fully recovered in time.

The 25-year-old Moeller, with a Bormio gold in super-G under his belt from the 2024 World Cup, was taken to Sondalo with pain in his shoulder, a spokesperson for the Norway team said.

Kilde, who made his comeback from injury earlier this season after nearly two years on the sidelines, pulled out of the Olympics on Tuesday after failing to regain full fitness.

The 33-year-old won a bronze medal in the super-G at the 2022 Beijing Games.

The timing of Moeller’s crash was not great for the Norwegian team’s spirit, said racer Adrian Smiseth Sejersted, who was nevertheless still looking ahead optimistically.

“Now we're at least two guys,” Sejersted said after his training run, referring to himself and teammate Simen Sellaeg. “Two guys is much more than one. But yeah, we should be three and four and five (skiers).”

The infamously steep Stelvio slope has not become any more nerve-wracking for the 31-year-old Olympian however.

"I think this is the easiest downhill in Bormio I've ever done,” he said of the friendlier snow conditions, “In December it's always super, super icy and extremely challenging.”

The men's downhill race is scheduled for February 7 in Bormio. REUTERS