"A slap in the face"

Brutal diagnosis: end of season for ÖSV talent!

Felix Hacker injured himself in training on Wednesday.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

In the second downhill training in Kitzbühel, Austria's speed team has once again lost a skier. Felix Hacker suffered a torn cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee without falling. This was the result of examinations in St. Johann. Manuel Traninger, who crashed the day before, got off lightly with pain in his lower right leg, he skipped the timed run on Thursday and should be fit for the weekend. However, Raphael Haaser's planned return has been delayed.

The ÖSV team, which has traveled to the Hahnenkamm races without its number one racer Vincent Kriechmayr after he suffered a pulled inner ligament in his right knee in Wengen, will not be able to rest. Not only have the veterans' performances so far this season and ahead of the home World Championships not been up to scratch, they also have to deal with the numerous absences in a professional manner.

Diagnosis a "slap in the face"
 It has not yet been decided where Hacker's operation will take place. "This diagnosis is of course a slap in the face and extremely bitter. It all happened so quickly and suddenly I felt this stitch in my left knee and tried to avoid falling. Now, of course, I have some tough weeks and months ahead of me, but I will do everything I can to get back to my old strength," Hacker is quoted as saying in a statement from the ÖSV.

Hacker after his crash on Wednesday

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof/krone.at)

"That really hurts. Of course it's super shitty when something like that happens. Unfortunately, it's part of the sport," said Stefan Eichberger after training, in which he came second and while the noise of the helicopter could be heard. Immediately after him was Hacker with start number 35. "It just goes so fast. Hopefully it's not that bad, that's the only hope we have," Eichberger hoped in vain in the end. Hacker broke off his run on the steep slope and was flown off the mountain by helicopter.

Hacker with victory in the European Cup after Kitzbühel
The 25-year-old Carinthian Hacker has already won four European Cup races this season, including the Super-G on the Reiteralm on Monday, and is the superior overall leader. He also got a taste of World Cup action at two venues before Kitzbühel, finishing 29th in the downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden, 23rd in the downhill in Bormio and 14th in the super-G. "The self-confidence is very good. I'm really motivated, it could be something good this weekend," he said after the first training session, full of euphoria. 24 hours later, his dreams were shattered.

In addition to the long-term injured Max Franz (fractures in both legs/November 2022), the men's speed department is also currently without Daniel Danklmaier (suffered bone bruises on both knees in Val Gardena/Gröden in December). In addition, all-rounder Raphael Haaser is still missing, having severely overstretched a cruciate ligament during his retirement in the giant slalom in Val d'Isere. Lukas Feurstein suffered a broken metacarpal bone in training in December, but returned to the World Cup in Adelboden.