Doctors wake Albrecht from three week coma
BERNE (Reuters) - Switzerland's Daniel Albrecht has been woken from a three-week coma induced by doctors after he crashed in training for last month's Kitzbuehel World Cup races.
The Swiss Ski federation announced on Thursday that Albrecht's condition had improved sufficiently for doctors at Innsbruck's University Hospital to also remove the respiration tube used to assist the skier's breathing.
Hospital spokesman Johannes Schwamberger said Albrecht was awake but not yet talking. He told Reuters it was too early to say if the 25-year-old was aware of his situation.
Albrecht suffered the high-speed accident when he misjudged the final jump on the Austrian resort's challenging Streif course.
The 2007 world super-combined champion was thrown about 70 meters before landing on his back and bouncing face down toward the finish line.
The hospital said it would hold a news conference on Friday to give further details on his condition.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
