3 Skiers Hurt in Practice Downhill Runs

Peter Mueller of Switzerland and two other skiers were injured today in practice runs for a downhill race in the latest mishaps on the World Cup circuit.

Mueller, teammate Phillip Schuler and Austrian downhiller Gerhard Pfaffenbichler all sustained knee injuries, team officials said.

Coach Karl Freshner said his athletes fell on bumps during training on the hard-packed course made with artificial snow for World Cup downhills Friday and Saturday.

The spills came a day after World Cup defending champion Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg suffered a severe bruise in a high-speed super-giant slalom in Sestriere, in Italy’s western Alps. Alberto Tomba, Italy’s leading slalom racer, broke his left collarbone in a spill in a super-giant slalom race in Val d’Isere, France, on Sunday.