French ski star Alexis Pinturault was taken off the hill by helicopter with an apparent right knee injury after he became one of a series of racers who crashed in a men's World Cup super-G on Friday.

French skier Alexis Pinturault suffers a heavy crash during the Kitzbühel Super-G, requiring airlift evacuation to hospital

Swiss master Marco Odermatt battled down a tough Kitzbuehel course to win Friday's super-G, but world skiing's race director was left with "mixed feelings" after a series of crashes, some serious.

The French alpine team endured a tough day on the Austrian slopes of Kitzbuehel during Friday's World Cup Super-G race after Alexis Pinturault had to be airlifted to hospital following a crash.

The three-time Olympic medallist, making his comeback after rupturing a knee ligament a year ago, crashed in a men's World Cup super-G on Friday.

Pinturault initially attempted to stand but quickly fell back down and pointed to his right knee as medical personnel rushed to his aid

Alexis Pinturault sustained right knee injuries in a crash at an Alpine skiing World Cup super-G in Kitzbühel, Austria, on Friday. Pinturault, a three-time Olympic medalist and a three-time world champion,