BEIJING — The two-inch scar winds along the base of Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s neck.
It’s the remnant of a terrifying crash 13 months ago during the downhill in Kitzbuhel, Austria, when he lost his balance and plowed into the safety netting at full speed. The impact broke his neck, though he’s quick to insist it wasn’t as bad as it sounds.
Cochran-Siegle underwent surgery to fuse the C6 and fractured C7 vertebrae, ending his breakthrough season on the World Cup circuit and underlining the perilous nature of hurling yourself down mountains.
