“The therapy went very well. He also tried skiing today and there were still a few things that needed to be fixed and he is in good spirits that it could work tomorrow,” said ÖSV Alpin boss Mandl in the ORF interview. The possible comeback is coming “absolutely faster than expected”. It is positive that there was no major damage to the knee; Kriechmayr had diligently treated and trained. But Mandl also made it clear: The decision rests with Kriechmayr himself.
The original hope was that Kriechmayr would be fit again for the home World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. But the healing happened faster than expected. “If you know Vinc (Kriechmayr, note), he himself worked very hard, received therapy more or less all day and of course tried to get fit again. “Thank God the damage wasn’t too bad for that to be possible,” said Mandl.
Kriechmayr before the start of the Kitz Super-G
Vincent Kriechmayr could possibly make his comeback as early as Friday. After his knee injury, the Upper Austrian feels ready to at least take part in the run-in for the Super-G in Kitzbühel. Whether he starts in the race will be decided afterwards.
From a medical perspective there is a green light. “He consulted yesterday and there was no objection to trying skiing. Kriechmayr is a responsible athlete, he works very hard. “He knows exactly how to make tough decisions,” said Mandl. He has to decide for himself whether this is the case. “No one can look inside his body. Nobody can say whether he is fit enough and no longer feels pain.”
Kitzbühel: Kriechmayr is on the verge of a lightning comeback
A few days after his fall in Wengen, Vincent Kriechmayr is planning to start at the Super-G in Kitzbühel. The Upper Austrian would like to make a final decision about a start after driving in on Friday. ÖSV-Alpin director Herbert Mandl confirmed this to ORF.
-Kriechmayr in the race for the Super-G ball
In the Super-G ranking, Kriechmayr is second behind the Swiss Marco Odermatt, so the shot chance is intact. Possibly one of the reasons why he wants to get back on the slopes so quickly. “You can speculate as much as you want. He’s a racing driver, when he’s fit enough he doesn’t miss anything. But that’s definitely an ulterior motive, it’s legitimate. For me it is important that there are no long-term consequences or that the start of the World Cup could be jeopardized anywhere.”
Basically, one has to say that Kriechmayr was quickly back on the ergometer and could put strain, Mandl said before the athlete’s decision. “But it’s different on snow, with angles and edges, because you obviously put more strain on the inner ligament.” As a bandage, you don’t put pressure on the athlete at all. “We see it more like this: we are happy if he is fit for the World Cup.”
Swiss
