Canadian Ski Cross Racer Dies In Crash

Canadian skier Nick Zoricic was killed on Saturday from head injuries he suffered during a World Cup Ski Cross event in Grindelwald, Switzerland.

Zirocic was hospitalized just a short time after the crash but suffered “severe neurotrauma” which led to his death.

The fall came just before Zoricic was about to cross the finish line in the eighth round of the competition. The skier slammed into the courses safety netting after going wide into the final jump.

In a statement Alpine Canada president Max Gartner said of the skier:

“Nick was a very talented young ski racer and a great athlete who was much loved by his teammates and fellow competitors. He will be greatly missed by all of us and the ski community as a whole.”

Speaking about her grandson Sofia Drudar later told CBC:

“It is such a tragedy. The hardest part … I’m old already and still here and he is so young (and) gone.”

Following the tragedy the remainder of the event was cancelled and organizers made the tough decision to also cancel the World Cup Final which was scheduled for Sunday.

It has been a tragic season for Canadian skiing, on January 10 Sarah Burke also suffered a fatal injury while training in Park City, Utah. Both Burke and Zoricic were 29-years-old

Zoricic was on the rise in his event, making his first World Cup podium finish in January 2011 after moving over to Ski Cross in 2008.

Are you shocked by yet another Canadian skier’s fatality during the 2012 skiing season?