Awful Faceplant Puts Olympic Ski Champ in Hospital

Swiss skier Simon Ammann suffered facial injuries yesterday after a crash-landing at the Four Hills Tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, the New York Daily News reports. The 33-year-old Olympic champion, eighth after the first round, came down from a 450-foot jump and slammed into the snow; emergency personnel immediately rushed out to where Ammann remained prone at the bottom of the slope. Although Ammann was "bloodied and unconscious," he regained consciousness and was able to move his arms and legs, Time reports.

"Simon Ammann is in stable condition and conscious, he can move all parts of his body and will stay in the hospital for further examinations," the International Ski Federation tweeted yesterday afternoon. It's been a rough week in skiing: On Monday, American skier Nick Fairall suffered season-ending back injuries at the same venue, NBC Sports reports. And an avalanche in the Austrian Alps killed two US Ski Team members on Monday. (More Simon Ammann stories.)