Marcel Hirscher Seriously Injured in the Knee: "Cruciate Ligament Gone, Project Over!"
"Cruciate ligament gone, project over!", Hirscher announced in a statement after the successful operation. The 35-year-old from Salzburg will likely miss not only the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
Cruciate Ligament Tear for Hirscher
"As it unfortunately happens in skiing: Part of the game. Maybe I'm finally done with my journey: For the first time, I'm experiencing the annoying issue of a cruciate ligament injury firsthand, something so many have had to endure", Hirscher hinted at the end of his second career. "What remains is: These eight months were intense and I had a lot of fun. I thank everyone who made this incredible journey possible and accompanied me on it."
"What remains is the love for skiing", Hirscher posted on Instagram along with a training video showing the injury. A seemingly harmless slip caused the mishap. Hirscher managed to avoid a fall, but immediately clutched his left knee in pain. Companions like Felix Neureuther and Marco Schwarz promptly reacted - with sad emoticons and good wishes for recovery.
Hirscher, who has been competing as a Dutchman this season, returned to the World Cup stage with a 23rd place in the giant slalom in Sölden, five years after his career ended. The slalom has not gone as planned so far, he clearly missed the second run as 46th in Levi, and in Gurgl he dropped out due to serious setup problems.
Hirscher Operated
Instead of material tinkering, it's now physiotherapy for Hirscher. The operation went according to plan, according to the doctors. "The anterior cruciate ligament in the left knee was torn and the outer capsule apparatus was slightly affected, otherwise no injuries were detectable. These are the best possible conditions for a good healing process under the given circumstances", said the doctors of the private clinic Ragnitz.
Hirscher spoke of a "hard cut after eight months of heart project". "It will certainly be hard to watch the races." He said he was able to contribute a little to the future successes of the Van-Deer athletes - "and that was also part of my mission".
As one of the few greats of his craft, Hirscher had remained free of major knee injuries in his career, an ankle fracture in August 2017 did not stop him from winning. As a ski "retiree", he suffered a leg fracture and a tear of the syndesmosis ligament at the Romaniacs motorcycle rally.
(APA/Red)
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