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ESPN will not be using drones to film the 2016 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. It has arrived at the decision after the recent World Cup incident, in which Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher needed to escape from a falling drone when he was racing at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy.

At that time, Hirscher did not seem "rattled" and finished his run. But later, he said, "This is horrible. This can never happen again. This can be a serious injury," according to The Guardian.

Hirscher managed to complete his run second in the race and got his first place in the overall World Cup standings.

But Danny Chi, the X Games spokesman, explained that they had arrived at their decision many months ago, and it had no relation to the December World Cup race, says the Aspen Daily News.

"We have never allowed drone usage---by media, photographers or spectators---at our venue in the past regardless of how advanced the technology is," said Chi.

However, the statement is contrary to the fact, which is borne out by a video on the official X Games Youtube Channel, explaining that drones were used at the 2015 X Games in Aspen. "It's kind of like the sports here," ESPN Vice President of Production Rich Feinberg said. "They're all about progression, and we want the coverage to progress as well."

An article published in Jan. 21, 2015 official X Games site titled "X Games Aspen to use drones to capture action" is now removed.

Aspen law enforcement has never permitted drone usage by any media outlet, apart from ESPN. Buttermilk, the ski resort spot for the X Games, is located near a local airport. So the worry for safety expands outside the venue too.

YouTube/X Games