Alpine skiing-German teenager dies after Lake Louise crash

Burkhart crashed into safety netting on Tuesday and was airlifted off the course and taken to Foothills hospital in Calgary.

The 17-year-old skier died from his injuries on Wednesday, the International Ski Federation confirmed on its website on Thursday.

"Alpine Canada and Alberta Alpine are devastated about this tragic loss of life and sends its deepest condolences to his family and team mates. Alpine Canada and Alberta Alpine encourage the ski family around the world to support the athletes’ family and team mate through this difficult time," said Alpine Canada in a statement.

The race was run on the same hill used for the first World Cup women's downhills of the season on Friday and Saturday that also produced several crashes, including one by American Lindsey Vonn, who careened into three sets of safety netting before coming to stop.

The most successful women's skier of all-time with 77 career wins, including 18 at the Canadian resort, laid motionless but eventually got up and skied to the bottom of the course uninjured.

Burkhart's death comes soon after another tragedy.

French downhiller David Poisson was killed in a training run crash at nearby Nakiska on Nov. 13 as he prepared for the first men's World Cup downhill of the season. (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Toby Davis)