Stoch, Russian jumper injured in training falls

Russia’s Mikhail Maksimochkin lies on a stretcher after falling during a men’s ski jumping large hill training session at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. AP

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia  — Gold medalist Kamil Stoch of Poland and Russian ski jumper Mikhail Maksimochkin were injured after crashing during landings Wednesday night while training for the individual large hill event at the Sochi Olympics.

Stoch, who won gold in the normal hill event on Sunday, was the last jumper of the night when he fell after missing his landing. He was attended to by medical staff and suffered a bloodied nose but walked off the hill after having a brace put onto his left arm.

“He’s going to the village with a doctor, but he’s OK,” Poland coach Lukasz Krusek said.

Paramedics earlier immobilized Maksimochkin with a neck and back brace and strapped him down on a stretcher before taking him away. The Russian was taken from the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center in an ambulance escorted by a police car.

On its website, governing body FIS said Maksimochkin had not suffered any serious injuries, but would remain in hospital overnight.

After the accident, Maksimochkin attempted to stand up, his skis separated by at least 10 meters. He then collapsed on the icy landing area, and medical officials rushed to his aid.

The incident came after high winds delayed the start of the first round of training and forced the cancellation of a third round.

The training jumps continued after Maksimochkin was taken from the hill. He was the 37th of 70 scheduled jumpers in the round.

Among those training Wednesday was Thomas Morgenstern of Austria. The three-time Olympic champion was hospitalized with skull and lung injuries after a training crash on Jan. 10, four weeks after suffering facial cuts, bruises and a broken finger following a bad landing during a World Cup event.

Simon Amman of Switzerland, the defending champion from Vancouver, was among those in the field. Also jumping were normal hill silver medalist Peter Prevc of Slovenia and Anders Bardal of Norway, who earned bronze.

Severin Freund of Germany led the first training round, while Stoch and Prevc were fourth and fifth. Prevc led the second round, jumping immediately before Stoch had his accident.

The gold medal in the large hill will be awarded Saturday night.

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