Austrian Mirjam Puchner, who won the World Cup downhill on the same slope last season, suffered a horrendous crash in women's downhill training, losing control over a jump and landing heavily.

She suffered a fractured tibia and fibula of the right leg and was helicoptered off the mountain.

The men's super-G, won by Canadian Erik Guay - himself the veteran of six knee operations often preceded by crashes, also featured a terrible crash by Monaco's Olivier Jenot, who again lost control over a jump and landed on his back before sliding into the safety netting at speed.

He too was transported off the piste by helicopter, to the regional hospital in nearby Chur, and was described as being in a stable condition.

Also stable was Slovakia's Adam Zampa, who suffered a contusion of the heel bone and pelvis.

American Thomas Biesemeyer dislocated his left shoulder and strained a hip, while Croatian Max Ullrich sustained pelvis and shoulder contusions. Both were also described as being in stable condition.

Kazakhstan's Martin Khuber fell in men's downhill training on Tuesday and underwent successful surgery in Chur "with stabilisation of the 2nd and 3rd cervical", organisers said.