The 27-year-old suffered skull and lung injuries following a crash while training for a World Cup event at Kulm in his home country on one of the five largest ski flying hills in the world last Friday (January 10).

He lost balance in the air and landed on his back and head.

He briefly lost consciousness but was responsive again shortly afterward.

Morgenstern was taken to intensive care where doctors warned he was in a critical condition but was taken off the danger list yesterday.

"His recovery process has been very satisfying so far," Josef Obrist, the head of clinic at Salzburg emergency hospital, told Associated Press.

"The bleeding and the contusion have completely diminished.

"There was a risk of brain swelling but that hasn't occurred."

Austria's three-time Olympic gold medallist Thomas Morgenstern was rushed to intensive care after this horrific crash while training for a World Cup event in Kulm but now hopes to recover in time for Sochi 2014 ©AFP/Getty Images

Austrian ski jumping officials now plan to give Morgenstern, a double Olympic champion at Turin 2006 in the individual large hill and team large hill, the event in which he won a third career gold medal at Vancouver 2010, time to recover for Sochi 2014.

The team is due to be announced on January 27 with the first ski jumping event scheduled to take place at Sochi 2014 on February 8.

"I hope the chance will be there," Austrian ski jump head coach Alexander Pointner told Associated Press.

"I'll leave the door open for him.

"Thomas deserves that 100 per cent.

"It's important for his further recovery now that he doesn't have to worry about the Olympics."

It was Morgenstern's second accident of the season.

Last month he crashed at World Cup event in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, and suffered several bruises, face cuts and a broken finger.

This latest mishap happened when he was practicing for a World Cup ski-flying event, which uses larger hills and producers greater distances in the air, when the accident happened.

Morgenstern, a three-time world champion in ski-flying, does not remember the accident but has watched it on television.

"That's part of the process, he shouldn't just push away what has happened," Pointner said.

"I am very glad he has got the medical all-clear.

"That's very important, also for the team."

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