Petra Vlhová: Are you fighting your comeback after a new knee surgery?

The Slovak Ski icon Petra Vlhova had to accept a bitter setback in her career. On Friday, the Slalom Olympic champion of Beijing 2022 announced on Instagram that after more than 13 months of recovery from her cruciate ligament and inner ligament tear, she had to undergo knee surgery again. "An operation was the only option," wrote Vlhova after being plagued by persistent cartilage problems and pain that made their everyday life a challenge. As a figurehead of the Slovak skiing, she wanted to give everything for her comeback, but the fight against the injury turned out to be too huge, like OE24 reported.

In addition to this disappointing message, Vlhova also has to cancel her participation in the Alpine World Ski World Championships in Saalbach, which will take place from February 4th to 16th. Her trainer Mauro Pini confirmed that despite positive progress in therapy in December, she is not ready to fight medals. "Unfortunately, we want to announce that Petra will not take part. We are not yet ready to fight top positions," he said. Vlhova, who won three medals at the World Championships in 2019, is now looking at the 2026 Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where hopefully she can find her shape again, such as Ski Racing reported.

look ahead

The absence of Vlhova in Saalbach is a significant loss for Slovakia's winter sports and the competition as a whole. While she is determined to work with full strength to the Olympic Games, the comeback after such serious injuries is an enormous challenge. Pini confirms that Vlhova has already formulated her goals for the next games: "A new chapter is now beginning for Petra," he emphasized. Fans are excited to soon see the talented athlete on the slopes and watch her fight for medals - a struggle that could lead her back to her old form and possibly beyond.