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Olympian injured by winch cable

Rossland’s David Anderson, a member of the Canadian Olympic Team, was injured on Feb. 15 at Snowbasin, Utah while training for the Olympic super-G on the following day. He was also supposed to compete in the giant slalom.

Rossland’s David Anderson, a member of the Canadian Olympic Team, was injured on Feb. 15 at Snowbasin, Utah while training for the Olympic super-G on the following day. He was also supposed to compete in the giant slalom.

The 22-year-old was flown to Latter Day Saints Hospital in Salt Lake City with extensive but non-life threatening injuries after a high speed crash into a snowcat winch cable while skiing with a teammate on a training hill.

He sustained soft-tissue injuries to his left ankle, right hamstring, left shoulder and mid-back. He sustained a concussion. X-ray and MRI exams revealed that he also suffered a minor compression fracture of his L1 vertebrae. No long-term disability is forseen, but he will be out of commission for the rest of the 2002 season.

He was released from the hospital on Feb. 18, into the care of the Canadian doctors at the Olympic Village.

"He will remain under the care of Canadian medical personnel for three or four days before he returns to Canada," said Alpine Canada spokesman Steve Keogh. "He can walk but he’s hobbling because of the ankle and hamstring."

Alpine Canada Alpin is currently conducting a review of the incident.