Music: {allcanada} Helie suffered concussion, knee injury

Thursday, December 30, 2010

{allcanada} Helie suffered concussion, knee injury

INNSBRUCK, Austria -- Canadian skier Louis-Pierre Helie suffered a concussion and serious knee injury Tuesday when he crashed during a World Cup downhill practice session in Bormio, Italy.

Team doctors said that Helie was expected to be released from hospital later Thursday.

Helie and American Marco Sullivan were both airlifted to a local hospital in Italy after crashing during the training session. Helie's crash was the more serious of the two. The native of Berthierville, Que., briefly lost consciousness after making a hard landing on the icy Stelvio course.

The Canadian team said Helie continues to improve and was transferred Wednesday to a trauma centre facility in Innsbruck for assessment.

"A followup CT scan has indicated a stable brain injury that will hopefully continue to improve from a neurologic perspective," Dr. Stephen French, the Canadian team doctor, said in a statement. "He has remained alert and in good spirits.

"While the athletes' neurologic perspective is improving, unfortunately he appears to have sustained a significant left knee injury in the same crash and he will be returning to Canada for assessment and treatment of a suspected ACL tear at the first opportunity. The athlete's return to competition remains uncertain at this time."

Sullivan, the first skier out of the gate, lost control while landing a jump midway down. He eventually got up and skied down under his own power.