Ski-jumping: Laitinen's fall was 'own fault'

Ski-jumping

Matti Pulli, the Finnish team manager, ruled out faulty equipment as the cause of the fall that ended Mika Laitinen's season. "It was simply lack of concentration on Mika's part," Pulli said in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, yesterday.

Laitinen was in a "satisfactory condition" after breaking his left collarbone and seven ribs in a fall in practice on Sunday. The World Cup leader also suffered concussion.

Finland's team doctor, Antti Eskola, said Laitinen would spend several days in hospital and would be out of competition for about two months, bringing his season to a premature end.Yesterday's World Cup event in Garmisch was won by Reinhard Schwarzenberger, an 18-year-old Austrian.