"Needs to be reconsidered"

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Daniel Hemetsberger crashed in the second downhill training run in Bormio.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Christof Birbaumer, ORF Screenshot)

Wild crash by ÖSV ace Daniel Hemetsberger! The Upper Austrian lost his helmet during the flight phase in the second training run for the Olympic downhill in Bormio and crashed into the safety nets.

"This shouldn't happen. It needs to be reconsidered," grumbled ORF expert Hans Knauß about the loose fit of the helmet. 

Despite the violent impact, the all-clear was quickly given. Hemetsberger was able to get up without assistance and ski to the finish area on his own. The 34-year-old suffered only bloody abrasions on his face.

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"Thank God I wasn't knocked out during the fall. I was able to ski down on my own. The impact with the goal was horrible," Hemetsberger told the "Krone" newspaper in the mixed zone. "Fortunately, the airbag deployed. My right foot is a little twisted and still hurts, but it should be fine."

"I don't care"
How did the helmet open? Hemetsberger: "I have no idea, but I don't care. With an impact like that, it can happen. I'm not criticizing anyone. The mouth guard proved its worth, though. I bit down hard on it, otherwise I would have lost teeth again."

There were other problems too. Before further medical examinations, he complained of "a slight headache" and hoped that the "swelling around his eye would go down, because at the moment he can't see very well." He was very annoyed about the fall. "I did the same stupid thing as in Kitzbühel. You can make a mistake once, but not twice. Then you're an idiot, and that really annoys me."

Hemetsberger is now undergoing a medical check-up. However, nothing should stand in the way of him competing in the Olympic Games.