Nicole Schmidhofer suffers knee injury as crashes mar World Cup downhill

By OlympicTalkDec 18, 2020, 1:00 PM EST

Five skiers, including two World Cup season champions, crashed into the same area of fencing in a women’s downhill in Val d’Isere, France, on Friday.

In the first World Cup speed race of the season, Austrian Nicole Schmidhofer lost control in a compression near the bottom of the course and skied directly into red fencing at high speed, going through one set of fencing and piercing the next.

Schmidhofer, the 2019 World Cup downhill season champion, is suspected to have suffered a rupture of the ACL and LCL in her left knee, according to the International Ski Federation (FIS), citing Austria’s federation.

About 28 minutes after Schmidhofer’s crash, reigning World Cup overall champion Federica Brignone of Italy hit the same area of fencing. Brignone skied off on her own.

Another 15 minutes later, Swiss Joana Haehlen hit that fencing and walked off.

Then, 13 minutes after that, American Alice McKennis-Duran crashed there and, minutes later, skied down on her own. Extra fencing was put up. Frenchwoman Laura Gauche, the 40th starter, later crashed.

Swiss Corinne Suter won by .11 of a second over Italian Olympic champion Sofia Goggia, who had trouble of her own in the dangerous area of the course. Suter is the reigning World Cup season champion in the downhill and super-G.

American Breezy Johnson was third for her first World Cup podium. Johnson suffered major leg fractures or tears in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Full results are here.

The women race another downhill Saturday. A full weekend Alpine skiing TV and live stream schedule is here.

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 29, 2023, 8:00 PM EDT

At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Turning 22 during the tournament, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her most recent match with a right thigh injury last week and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion, are the top challengers in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, are the best hopes to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 29, 2023, 8:00 PM EDT

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The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, who lost in the French Open first round in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, is improved on clay. He won the Italian Open, the last top-level clay event before the French Open, and is the No. 2 seed ahead of Djokovic.

No. 9 Taylor Fritz, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe and No. 16 Tommy Paul are the highest-seeded Americans, all looking to become the first U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals since Andre Agassi in 2003. Since then, five different American men combined to make the fourth round on eight occasions.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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