Austrian Olympic ski jumping champion Thomas Morgenstern is out of danger three days after a horrific crash, doctors say, but his participation at the Sochi Games remains unclear.
His doctor Josef Obrist told a news conference on Monday that Morgenstern, briefly unconscious after Friday's ski flying accident, was in a "stable condition", giving him the "definite all-clear".
"I'm so grateful for my recovery. And I'm speechless about the many good wishes here," the 27-year-old, one of Austria's leading gold medal hopes for the Sochi Winter Olympics which get underway on February 7, posted on Facebook.
"I try to read as many as possible of them, what gives me strength. THANK YOU SO MUCH to my family, the medical team and to everybody, who stands by my side!"
Whether he competes in Russia, however, is uncertain, with chief trainer Alexander Pointner saying only he would "keep a space free for Thomas for as long as possible".
The spectacular crash on the Kulm slope in Tauplitz on Friday, Morgenstern's second in a month, saw him lose balance in mid-air and land heavily on his back and head before sliding lifelessly to the bottom.
Unlike ski jumping's usual hill size of 130-140 metres, ski flying takes place on a 200-metre hill, with jumpers soaring through the air after speeding down an icy track at up to 100 kilometres per hour.
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