Skiing's tragic season

Officials attend to Beltrametti following his crash

The crash that left Swiss skier Silvano Beltrametti paralysed was the latest in a season of tragic accidents.

Beltrametti crashed at high speed in the men's downhill at Val d'Isere on Saturday.

While his life was not in danger, the 22-year-old was left paralysed in his legs and suffered internal bleeding in his lungs.

The accident came a matter of weeks after French Super-G world champion Regine Cavagnoud was killed in a crash in Austria.

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Accidents in 2001:

December 7 - Switzerland's giant slalom world champion Michael Von Gruenigen broke his shoulder-blade in training.

November 20 - German Olympic prospect Florian Eckert broke his leg in training, ruling him out of next year's Salt Lake Games.

Florian Eckert will miss the Winter Olympics

November 18 - Austrian downhill world champion Hannes Trinkl fractured his skull in a training fall in Schladming.

October 29: Regine Cavagnoud died after suffering severe head and internal injuries in a crash on the Pitz Valley glacier in Austria.

October 29 - Austrian speed specialist Werner Franz shattered a knee in training at Soelden, ending his season.

August 25 - Olympic double gold medallist and overall World Cup champion Hermann Maier broke his right leg in a motorcycle accident in central Austria.

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Major accidents of last decade:

1998 - American downhill champion Picabo Street shattered her left femur and shredded knee ligaments in a horrific crash at Crans Montana.

1997 - France's Adrien Duvillard was seriously injured in a crash while training for a World Cup downhill in Wengen, Switzerland.

Picabo Street crashed at Crans Montana in 1998

1996 - Russian downhiller Tatiana Lebedeva collided with an American race official at the World Championships in Sierra Nevada, with both suffering broken legs.

1995 - Leading Swedish skier Tomas Fogdoe was left paralysed after a training accident.

1994 - Austria's Ulrike Maier died when she broke her neck after losing control during a World Cup downhill in the German resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

1992 - Austrian Peter Wirnsberger II died from injuries sustained in a fall during free skiing in Austria.

1991 - Austrian Gernot Reinstadler died when he broke his pelvis and suffered massive internal injuries in a crash during training for a World Cup downhill in Wengen.