A drone crash near four-time defending overall champion Marcel Hirscher marred a World Cup slalom ski race that Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway won by a massive 1.25-second margin on Tuesday.
The drone carrying a TV camera for the broadcast crew crashed to the snow during Hirscher's second run just behind the Austrian. While Hirscher may have been hit by some small pieces, he didn't appear to notice.
"This is horrible," the 26-year-old Hirscher, who finished second in the event, said. "This can never happen again. This can be a serious injury."
Still, Hirscher reclaimed the overall World Cup lead from Aksel Lund Svindal, who no longer races slalom.
Hirscher would later joke about the incident, posting this picture on his Instagram account with the caption: "Heavy air traffic in Italy #crazy #drone #crash #luckyme."
After a holiday break, the men's circuit resumes with a downhill in Santa Caterina Valvurva next Tuesday.
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