Skiing | Kirkland's Macartney is recovering from crash

SALT LAKE CITY — Scott Macartney thought he was having a great run.

The skier from Kirkland was moving fast over the ice and snow Jan. 19 on an Austrian mountain. It wasn't until almost the end that Macartney's World Cup downhill turned into a disaster.

Macartney's takeoff on the final jump in Kitzbuehel was uneven. His left ski started to drift and his body followed, helplessly twisting before he slammed his head.

"You go right from 'I might be all right' to 'Oh, I'm screwed.' It's really that fast," said Macartney, who is recovering from a concussion.

Other than a few scrapes on his face, Macartney contends he is physically fine. But his head is still a little cloudy — and until the fog has completely lifted, Macartney is grounded. The two-time Olympian said he hopes to return this season.

This isn't a twisted knee, sore back or other injury common to alpine skiers. Those can often be fixed with surgery.

"It's very important that you get this one right," said Macartney, who turned 30 the day of the crash. "You just wait for the body to recover. I feel OK, but I don't feel great and I don't feel as sharp as I should. It's that sharpness that's worrisome."

Macartney returned to the United States last week and spent the weekend in Park City, Utah, home of the U.S. Ski Team. Doctors ran neurological tests.

"He's made significant gains since the injury," said Richard Quincy, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association medical director.

Macartney was clocked at almost 90 mph before the last jump and landed hard enough to break his helmet, which made the crash look worse but might have helped.

The helmet is designed to absorb energy by breaking, which it did.

"This one, I mean, it's destroyed," Macartney said of the helmet.

Macartney has watched video of the crash several times. His skis were pointed sideways an instant before impact.

"As soon as that happens, you land and it's just an explosion," he said. "I was thinking about trying to do everything I could to land on my feet and keep going."