Fears confirmed: Austrian ski racer Marco Schwarz suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee in a severe fall on a downhill run in Bormio. That was the conclusion of Thursday's hearing in Innsbruck. That means the season ended early for the overall World Cup leader to date.
“After the swing, it kicked my right knee in. I knew right away that something wasn't 100% right,” Schwarz said. In addition to the torn cruciate ligament, Schwarz suffered a tear in the medial meniscus and minor cartilage damage in his right knee. Carinthian will undergo surgery on Friday.
Schwarz responded to the diagnosis relatively calmly. “I noticed right away that something wasn't right. Even if I needed surgery, I'm fine with the situation. The focus is forward and the goal is clear: I want to get back to where I was. “I'll give everything for that,” declared Schwarz.
What happened? Black lost control of his skis during a maneuver and crashed into a safety net as a result. At first he stood up on his own, but you could see the pain. Supported by two employees of the Austrian Skiing Association (ÖSV), he left the slopes. A rescue helicopter was immediately informed. Upon arrival, the 28-year-old's right leg and back were stabilized. He was then taken to a hospital in Innsbruck.
Cyprian Sarrazin surprisingly won the race. At the end of the 3.6-kilometer course, the 29-year-old Frenchman was just ahead of Swiss double world champion Marco Odermatt, who missed out on his first World Cup victory in the supreme alpine discipline by 0.09 seconds.
In a race with remarkably large time differences, World Cup third-place finisher Cameron Alexander of Canada finished third, 1.23 seconds behind the winner.
The best player in the German team, Thomas Tressen, was missing due to illness, and Andreas Sander started with the top spot. The 2021 World Cup runner-up had long been a respectable ninth, but was pushed out of the top 15 by runners with higher start numbers who benefited from better visibility. Fellow-favourite Alexander Amot Gilde of Norway was knocked out by veteran Romad Baumann.
With Sports Information Service (SID)
