Nicole Schmidhofer will no longer compete in World Cup races this season. As the ski world champion explained at a media event yesterday, she wants to attack again next winter. “I’m physically where I have to say, there are my limits. I have to admit that I’m tired and can’t drive in such a way that really good results come out,” said the 32-year-old.
On December 18, 2020, the Styrian suffered multiple ligament and serious vascular injuries in her left knee on the descent in Val d’Isere. Even an amputation could not be ruled out at first. After several operations and a long rehabilitation period, she has been back in snow training since October. In December she competed in five speed races in Lake Louise and St. Moritz, including a promising 15th place in Lake Louise.
Waiver in Zauchensee
At the home race in Zauchensee, Schmidhofer changed his mind and left the starting area during downhill training. “You don’t want to risk anything, I realized that at the start,” she said. It doesn’t make sense. “There have simply been muscular problems in the last two or three weeks.” She wants to fully recover for the next 14 days before she starts with a physical build-up.
Schmidhofer had long ruled out qualifying for the Olympic Games in Beijing, which begin on February 4th. Almost three weeks before the first alpine races in China, the ÖSV squad has crystallized: In addition to the versatile Ramona Siebenhofer and Ariane Rädler, Mirjam Puchner, Christine Scheyer, Tamara Tippler and Cornelia Hütter have also acquired their right to an Olympic starting place. There would also be giant slalom specialist Stephanie Brunner and technicians Katharina Liensberger, Katharina Gallhuber and Katharina Truppe. Chiara Mair and Katharina Huber are contenders for the last free place.
Source: Nachrichten
