THE SIDELINES : American Skier Injured in Fall

American Matt Laue took a bad fall during ski jump practice today, but he probably will be able to compete in the combined event at the World Nordic Championships later this week.

Laue, 21, a rookie from Long Lake, Minn., dipped his ski tips and somersaulted down the landing area on the 70-meter ski jump hill.

“It was a pretty hard fall, and he got a few bruises,” Alan Johnson, a U.S. coach said. “He bounced a few times.”

Laue was taken to a hospital in this north Italian ski resort for observation.

“He seems to be OK,” said Johnson.

The U.S. Nordic ski team, which consists of 20 athletes and 10 officials, arrived earlier in the week. The decision to send a team to Italy was not made until last weekend because of the Persian Gulf War.