Raphael Haaser: Will he come back to the World Cup in Saalbach in time?

Raphael Haaser: Will he come back to the World Cup in Saalbach in time?

Val d'Isere, Frankreich - Raphael Haaser, the talented Tyrolean skier, is again in the spotlight, but not for the best reasons. Almost four weeks ago, he suffered a serious injury in a race in Val d’Isère in French when he overstretched the cruciate ligament. This incident, which has developed into a massive setback in a World Cup year, now forces him to take a six-week competition break, as was reported at nön.at . On Thursday there is a crucial doctor's appointment for Haaser, in which he hopes for positive news to keep his chance of returning to the home World Cup in Saalbach.

Although he no longer feels pain and says of himself, "I'm 100 percent everyday", the situation remains tense. Haaser's injury happened in a supposedly harmless situation and is described by him as a "worst case", since the World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is only seven weeks away. He has already demonstrated his achievements this season by achieving seventh place in the giant slalom in Sölden. However, he could be doomed to the deflection of further races, since he could only start in Beaver Creek in the Super-G, where he finished third last year, but left there, as krone.at informed.

His everyday life has changed significantly in the past few weeks. Instead of training on the slopes, Haaser focuses on the reconstruction of his physical Fitness in the weight room and light leg training and cycling. Although he remains optimistic and hopes to be able to run again in good time before the World Cup, time remains scarce and the uncertainty remains. While he spent Christmas differently than usual and enjoyed the time with his family, the question remains whether he can go back to the skis in time to secure a place in the important competitions.