Michael Milton's remarkable 20-year Paralympic comeback is in doubt after the alpine skiing great fractured his leg ahead of the Milan-Cortina Games.
Australia's most decorated Winter Paralympian, the 52-year-old Milton - who last appeared at a Paralympics in 2006 - confirmed on Friday he had picked up a small fracture in his femur after crashing in the US.
Milton's ski had slid out from beneath him after hitting a slick patch of snow at the end of a training run in Colorado.
The Canberra local landed heavily on the stump of his left leg, which he lost to bone cancer as a nine-year-old.
Scans revealed a small fracture in the neck of the femur, with surgery a possible option.
The five-time Paralympian has remained in the US ahead of the March 6 start for the Milan-Cortina Games.
He said he was remaining optimistic, given he had suffered a similar fracture to the same femur in a crash 12 months ago and did not need surgery.
"I'm gutted but, after more than 20 years as a ski racer, I know the risks," Milton wrote in a blog post.
"The support and help from Paralympics Australia has been fantastic. I'm in touch with the team doctor and various specialists in the US and Australia.
"For the moment, I rest, wait and hope but, at this stage, I haven't ruled anything out."
Milton was on target to pull off his ambitious goal of qualifying in all five alpine disciplines - slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and the combined (downhill and slalom).
Despite two decades off the Paralympic scene, Milton stunned at the Para Alpine Skiing World Cup stop in Colorado in January and won four of his five races across the slalom, giant slalom and Super G disciplines.
He finished no worse than second.
First competing at the Paralympics in 1988, Milton boasts 11 skiing medals, including six gold.
The Australian Paralympic alpine skiing team is set to be announced on February 27, with team chef de mission Ben Troy hopeful of Milton's inclusion.
"Michael has done incredibly well just to put himself in contention to compete at Milano Cortina," Troy said.
"He's raced across two continents and shown incredible determination to become eligible for five different Para alpine skiing events.
"This mishap is unfortunate, but we'll be giving Michael all the support and time he needs. We hope for the best."
