It might be one of the luckiest escapes in skiing, but it’s not the moment Maxence Muzaton wants to be remembered for.
The French skier was competing in the men’s downhill world championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Sunday when a slip at a turn caused him to lose control.
Traveling at around 120 kilometers per hour (75-mph), Muzaton spun 180 degrees in the air and hurtled down the slope before miraculously landing in reverse and spinning round to face forward.
“Getting on my skis was luck, I did not control (myself) enough in the air,” 30-year-old Muzaton told CNN’s Don Riddell.
“When I hit the ground in the switch position, I controlled the stop and the speed, but in the air I controlled nothing. Landing on my skis was, I think, luck, for sure, more than skills.”
Unfortunately for Muzaton, who was competing in his fifth world championship event, the initial impact at the turn injured his knee. Initially fearing he would require surgery, a scan, much to his relief, revealed a ligament sprain and a bone bruise.
“For most of the people who have seen the video, they are like, ‘Wow, what a miracle — what a save!'” said Muzaton.
“But yes, it’s a miracle the way I landed on my skis. It’s not as bad as it could have been.”
Despite the injury, Muzaton acknowledged that the crash could have had far more serious consequences had he not been able to pirouette safely back onto his skis.
Muzaton trains ahead of the world championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Yet as a competitor, he added that it’s hardly the sort of race highlight he wants people to talk about.
“I have to recover really fast, getting back on my skis,” he said. “I need some good results — better than this video. But it’s part of the game.
“I will try to be remembered after my career as a good athlete with good results, more than the guy who made an incredible recovery from a mistake.”
A week previously, Muzaton had made another incredible save while competing in a World Cup event in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany.
That time, he slipped into a squat position and spun round on the ground before being able to return to his skis.
