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| October 31, 2001 | Wednesday | Shaba’an 13, 1422 |
French skier has brain damage
INNSBRUCK (Austria), Oct 30: France’s reigning world super-G champion Regine Cavagnoud suffered severe brain damage in Monday’s horrendous training accident in Austria and was still fighting for her life on Tuesday, doctors said.
“Cavagnoud’s condition is stable. In today’s examinations severe damage to the brain was detected. Her condition is, as before, life threatening,” said Wolfgang Koller at the Innsbruck hospital where the skier underwent emergency surgery on Monday.
French coach Jean-Philippe Vuillet told French television: “The news we have from Regine is not good at all. We can only hope she is going to win this fight. The mood in the team is really gloomy.”
Cavagnoud, 31, sustained severe head and internal injuries after ramming into a trainer on the Pitz Valley glacier in Tyrol. Doctors said they were most concerned about the extent of damage to her skull and brain.
The skier, who underwent surgery for four hours on injuries to her head, chest and liver, was too weak to undergo any more surgery on Tuesday, they said.
“Regine is in an artificially-induced deep sleep, has been put on a respirator and is undergoing the full medical treatment,” Koller said.
The doctor said earlier in the day that he was unable to make a prognosis of her chances of survival, given her current state.
“As I said, the situation is very, very serious. Regine has several injuries on numerous parts of her body and the sum of the injuries is very severe,” he added.
Cavagnoud, a surprise third at the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden on Saturday after coming back from injury in August, collided head on with German trainer Markus Anwander as he crossed the track on the glacier.
Doctors said the German’s situation had stabilised.
“Anwander’s condition has stabilised and further operations will be planned in due course,” Koller said.
Cavagnoud had needed resuscitation on the glacier after suffering temporary heart failure.
The French skier had just come back from an injury in training in Chile on August 17 when she sustained minor concussion and partially tore her left ankle ligament.
She had resumed training only last month. Her strong showing in giant slalom was all the more impressive since she is more at home in the speed events of downhill and super-G.—Reuters
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