Three Canadian bobsledders hurt in crash

FRANKFURT, Germany – Three members of the Canadian bobsledding team were hospitalized Thursday after their four-man sled slammed into the roof of the track during a training run for this weekend’s World Cup stop in Germany.

The crash came when pilot Chris Spring lost control of his sled on the 16th turn of the 17-turn course at Altenberg, one of the world’s toughest tracks. Spring sustained a “major puncture wound” to his buttocks and upper leg area from debris created by the crash, said Don Wilson, the CEO of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, adding that the sliders were resting comfortably and that the injuries are not life-threatening.

Pieces of that debris, mostly wood, came through the bottom of the sled and caused the bulk of the injuries.

“I think these athletes are extremely lucky,” said Nathan Cicoria, the high-performance director for the Canadian team.

Weather was not believed to have been a factor in the crash, although training runs were canceled earlier in the day by heavy snow.

“I’ve never seen a sled so destroyed,” Canadian coach Tom de la Hunty told The Associated Press by telephone.

Spring was airlifted to the University Clinic in Dresden, and Canadian officials said he also had rib and lung injuries. Push athletes Bill Thomas and Graeme Rinholm were sent to nearby hospitals, where they were to stay at least overnight because of bruising and trauma. A fourth member of the team, Tim Randall, was treated at the track and not seriously injured.

Photos taken at the crash site showed pieces of wood had fallen from the track and onto the snowy surface below, more proof of how much force was generated by Spring’s sled.

“This an extremely unfortunate incident that we are taking very seriously,” Wilson said.

De la Hunty said the “disastrous” crash took place in turn 16, where the sled hit the roof over the course and skidded down the wall, but never left the track.

“The entire front part of the sled came off and dragged through the sled with the athletes inside,” de la Hunty said.

The rest of the training schedule for the day was scrubbed after the crash.