INNSBRUCK, Austria (AP) — The speed coach of the Austrian men’s ski team is out of an induced coma and was breathing on his own Friday, 12 days after suffering severe head, chest and back injuries in a skiing accident.
The Austrian ski federation says Rainer Gstrein “is awake and responsive. Gstrein … can move arms and legs well.”
The federation says he will remain in intensive care at the Innsbruck University Hospital for neurological tests.
Gstrein fell and hit his head on the icy slope while returning to the valley after visiting the women’s downhill race of the Austrian national championships in Pitztal on April 7.
The 56-year-old Gstrein has been a coach with Austria’s World Cup team since 1994. He also is the race director of the traditional World Cup season-opening giant slaloms in his native Soelden.
