Swiss skier Marc Gisin retires after incomplete recovery from crashes

[November 30, 2020]    ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss alpine skier Marc Gisin, who lost nearly all his teeth in a horrifying 2018 crash at 120 kph during a World Cup downhill, is retiring after never completely recovering from his injuries, the nation's ski association said on Monday.

Switzerland's Marc Gisin during training REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

Gisin, 32, an 11-year veteran of the Switzerland team, twice placed fifth at the famed Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuehel but was better known for his dramatic crashes that often left him sidelined for months.

He tore an anterior cruciate ligament during a 2012 crash in Crans Montana and suffered a concussion with brain bleeding in 2015 in a crash in Kitzbuehel before the dramatic December 2018 wipe-out in Groeden, Italy, where he lost his teeth, broke multiple bones and suffered a collapsed lung.

"Unfortunately, his body never completely recovered from the serious accidents," Swiss Ski said in a statement. "For this reason, Marc Gisin is retiring."

Gisin's sister, Dominique Gisin, won a downhill gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia before retiring, while another sister, Michelle Gisin, who remains active on the women's World Cup circuit, won a gold medal in the women's combined event at the 2018 Pyeongchang in Korea.

(Reporting by John Miller; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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