Whitefish, Mont. March 28, 2001 (AP)--Jonna Mendes was taken off the course in a toboggan Wednesday after breaking her right ankle during a second-run slalom crash at the U.S. Alpine nationals.
Mendes, of Heavenly, Calif., was four gates from the bottom when her right ski hooked a pole, her momentum swung her around and she tumbled backward. She was treated for 15 minutes before being loaded onto a sled and brought down.
She wiped tears away as teammates and fans cheered her.
Mendes won the women's giant slalom Tuesday, a surprising victory for a skier who specializes in speed races. She placed second in the super-G at this week's nationals and was third in downhill.
Copyright (c) 2000 The Associated Press
