Swiss ace Didier Cuche has been given a ‘thumbs-up’ to compete at Vancouver after a successful operation on his fractured thumb.

Swiss ski fans were given a scare when the Olympic gold hopeful crashed and injured his right thumb during Friday's giant slalom at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia.

Surgery has, however, allowed the 35-year-old to resume training with a special brace Swiss Ski bosses have revealed.

Swiss Ski issued a statement that read: "Didier Cuche underwent successful surgery on his right thumb at the Schulthess clinic in Zurich. Doctor Stephan Schindele, a hand surgery specialist, was very satisfied with how the operation went."

A specialist in downhill and super-G speed events, Cuche has flourished late in his career, picking up his first world championship gold last year in the super-G.

He has picked up a single Olympic medal, a silver in the 1998 super-G in Nagano. He will be one of the favourites for gold in the downhill and super-G categories in Whistler.