The men’s second downhill training in Bormio was overshadowed by a serious fall Daniel Hemetsberger. The Upper Austrian lost control in the upper part of the track and something that shouldn’t happen happened. The 34-year-old slipped into a goal post and lost his helmet. Hemetsberger tried to protect his head with his hands, then he crashed into the safety net with the airbag open.
The driver was quickly back on his feet. With a bruised and bloody face, he was able to reach the finish line himself.
Hit the goal with his face
“I saw the whole fall live, that was good,” said Hemetsberger at the finish with a black eye and a cut on his nose. “I hit the outside goal squarely with my face, I think it tore my helmet off. It really ripped my head into my neck, which was unpleasant at 130 km/h. I hope the swelling in my eye goes away because I can’t see very well at the moment.”
A blessing in disguise: “I have pain in my right leg, but I don’t think it’s anything serious. It’s good that the cruciate ligament there can’t tear because I don’t have one in there anymore.”
At the finish, Hemetsberger could be annoyed with himself again: “I made the same mistake as in Kitzbühel. Making the same mistake twice shouldn’t happen.”
Three Italians ahead
The training was dominated by the local heroes. Mattia Casse set the fastest time ahead of Florian Schieder and Kitzbühel winner Giovanni Franzoni. The Austrians did not make it into the top ten.