Problems with knees

Racing instead of surgery for Venier: “Must bite through”

Stephanie Venier

(Bild: APA/Getty Images)

The knee, the Achilles heel of skiers. This is also the case for Stephi Venier. She is increasingly feeling the strain in race mode - even if she doesn't want it to be an excuse.

"I wanted to keep it to a minimum, but someone let it slip," says the Tyrolean. "In the meantime, both knees are a bit sore. Last year, I was already looking to get through the season somehow."

Doctor advised surgery
Venier is in contact with Dr. Christian Fink - he advised her to have an operation, but Venier decided against it. Because then she would have missed the World Championships in Saalbach and the 2026 Olympics. "I have to bite through it now. We've got it under control at the moment, it's quality over quantity in training."

Stephanie Venier

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

After finishing 17th in the downhill, she came 13th in the super-G, a mistake costing her a top place. "The week was a plague, I thought I was going home, I wasn't happy anymore. It's a shame about the blunder, but it was finally skiing again the way I want to. That gives me courage."

Next chance: Saturday in St. Moritz. Where Lindsey Vonn, who would have finished in the top 10 in the Beaver Creek downhill with her preliminary time, will be making her comeback. Missing will be Mikaela Shiffrin, who had to undergo an "unexpected operation" after suffering an abdominal wound in Killington. She will probably be out for a few weeks. Like Petra Vlhova: she suffered a relapse and has knee problems - the World Championships in Saalbach are in doubt.