Figini Wins Again in World Cup; Pillinger of U.S. Is Injured in Bad Spill

Olympic downhill gold medalist Michela Figini scored the fourth straight World Cup win for Switzerland as a streak of American bad luck continued with a terrifying spill by Tori Pillinger at Leukerbad, Switzerland.

Pillinger, of Park City, Utah, suffered a compound fracture of her right thigh when she lost her balance after the last gate and crashed against the right finishing post after overturning twice.

She joined the American A-team last year, with her best showing a sixth place in a race in Val d’Isere, France. Her spill was the latest in a series of freak accidents that have dimmed U.S. hopes.

Early last month, Tamara McKinney, overall World Cup champion in 1983, broke her leg in final preseason training at Copper Mountain, Colo. She expects to rejoin the team after the Christmas break.

Eva Twardokens is lost for the season after suffering a severe knee injury during a World Cup race in Sestriere, Italy, late last month. Debbie Armstrong has been slow in recovering from a dislocated fibula suffered in training last summer.

Pillinger’s fall means that four of the top five Americans in last year’s World Cup competition are out of action or hampered by injuries. McKinney was sixth overall in 1986-87, Armstrong 22nd, Twardokens 39th and Pillinger 54th.

This leaves just Pam Fletcher, 42nd, still skiing. Fletcher finished 22nd Saturday, 3.01 seconds behind Figini.

Figini’s victory moved her to the top of the overall World Cup standings with 77 points. Austria’s Sigrid Wolf, who failed to finish Saturday, dropped to second with 52 points.