AN ITALIAN alpine skier was airlifted to hospital after a terrifying crash at the Ski World Cup.<br /><br />Christof Innerhofer suffered a horrific ordeal when he lost control on a run in the Super-G event at Stelvio in northern Italy.<br /><br />The 39-year-old four-time Olympian, a downhill speed specialist, clattered into a gate and then slammed into the safety netting with huge force.<br /><br />Video footage showed Innerhofer bleeding from his face after the high-speed accident.<br /><br />Fellow skiers preparing for their runs watched in shock and horror as they saw the awful scenes on a TV screen.<br /><br />The race was immediately suspended as several medics tended to Innerhofer, who did manage to stand up gingerly and communicate.<br /><br />But, despite maintaining consciousness and some mobility, the decision was made to place the skier on a stretcher and lift him into the helicopter, which took him for further tests to assess the extent of the damage.<br /><br />German news outlet Spiegel states he has a suspected knee injury.<br /><br />Innerhofer's stunning career includes a world championship gold medal, six World Cup wins, and two bronzes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.<br /><br />But there are fears he may never take to the snow professionally again<br /><br />Fans took to social media to express their best wishes and sadness after today's crash.<br /><br />One said: "Legend, icon. This looks like a sad end to a happy career."<br /><br />Another wrote: "Get well soon."<br /><br />Innerhofer's shocking incident took place just a day after Marco Schwarz also sustained a nasty injury.<br /><br />Swiss star Schwarz tore his ACL in his right knee as he fell on a slope.<br /><br />The World Cup leader underwent surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
