Aussie skier Josh Hanlon suffers ugly crash moments into race

Australian sit skier Josh Hanlon crashed moments into his first run down the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina.

Despite the incident, he has vowed to continue skiing aggressively in his bid for a gold medal, as he miraculously escaped the crash with just a few cuts and bruises.

The 28-year-old's sit ski reversed on itself, sending him flying out of control and through barrier fencing, which eventually stopped his fall.

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Only five of the nine competitors finished the course, before his tumble down the mountain.

It's the same course where US star Lindsay Vonn crashed and suffered significant leg injuries, while skiing on a torn ACL.

"Obviously very frustrating," Hanlon said in the aftermath.

"But I think I did come through with a bit more speed today. I nailed my line, which is what I'd planned to do.

"Coming into that turn, it's a big 90-degree turn, so it's very challenging and the conditions – I think the ski just didn't quite hold for what I tried to get out of it.

"Tactically, I should have probably … tried to be a bit more gentle on it. But I was going for the win."

Watch the Winter Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event live & on demand, every medal in 4K, and exclusive international coverage on Stan Sport.

Hanlon was in good spirits despite the crash, suffering a few bumps and bruises, but said he would be good to go for the remainder of his events.

"I don't want to come down in 10th place, I want to come down first, so you've got to give it everything," he said.

"I did hit my head, but I didn't actually know that I'd really hit it until I took my goggles off and got a bit of a lump here. It's not too bad.

"I think the mental preparation that we've been working on all season has really paid off. I felt great in the gate and pushing out. But yeah, obviously just very frustrating that it didn't come off.

"I'll just put it behind me, move on.

"I'm just taking in the same mindset as I've had all season. I've been trusting myself and adding confidence in my skiing, coming into each race. I've got another few chances to show what I can do. So, I'll stress less and move on.

"Pushing out and knowing that I've given my all will be enough. I don't want to hold back, I really want to go for it. Whether it pays off or not, I'll worry about that later."

Only 11 of the 23 participants finished the downhill event.