Olympic ski cross medallist in coma after crash

Olympic bronze medallist and three-time World Cup ski cross champion Anna Holmlund was seriously injured after crashing during training on Monday and is in a medically-induced coma.

Reigning World Cup champion Anna Holmlund undergoes brain surgery

Sweden's Anna Holmlund has won the crystal globe as the World Cup ski cross champion three times, including each of the last two seasons. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via Associated Press)

Two Swedish freestyle World Cup skiers have been injured after crashing on the same Italian hill in a three-day span.

Anna Holmlund was seriously injured after crashing during training on Monday in Innichen, Italy and is in a medically-induced coma. Sandra Naslund was injured during a race on Wednesday and was also taken to the hospital.

Naslund's injuries are less serious. She will have X-rays on her elbow.

The 29-year-old Holmlund lost consciousness after hitting her head during the crash and was flown by helicopter to Bolzano, where she underwent brain surgery that night.

Jakob Swanberg, the Swedish ski cross federation doctor, said late Tuesday that brain test results are "unfortunately disappointing."

"Injuries that we were not able to see previously show now and now we see the damage is unfortunately widespread," Swanberg said in a statement. "It is still difficult to make any forecast but generally speaking, damage of this type usually leaves considerable injury."

Holmlund is a three-time ski cross World Cup champion and won a bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

She won the crystal globe as the World Cup season champion in each of the last two seasons, as well as 2010-11.

Holmlund is currently second in the ski cross standings, with Naslund third.

With files from CBC Sports