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Canadian skier Nik Zoricic died on Saturday (March 10) after crashing in a World Cup skicross race in the Swiss resort of Grindelwald, Alpine Canada said.

Officials said Zoricic crashed in the finish area just after the fourth heat of the skicross finals.

The 29-year-old Zoricic sustained severe head injuries in the crash.

He was airlifted to hospital in Interlaken and was pronounced dead at 12:35 p.m. local time. The cause of death was given as "severe neurotrauma."

Zoricic had raced at the World Cup for more than three years and finished eighth at last year's world championships.

In Toronto, Zoricic's grandmother grieved for her grandson.

"I'm still here. I'm old already and I'm still here and he's so young - gone. I don't know what to say," Sofia Drudar said.

International Ski Federation (FIS) officials immediately abandoned the race and cancelled Sunday's (March 11) World Cup events.

It was the second tragedy to rock the Canadian ski racing community this year following the death of Sarah Burke, an X Games champion and gold medal favourite in the half-pipe at the 2014 Olympics, in a training accident in January in Utah.