toboggan
In mid-February, Austria had to forego its medal hope in the double-seater at the Sochi Olympic Toboggan World Championship. Thomas Steu suffered a broken leg during a training fall in Sigulda, Latvia. Vorarlberg and his partner Lorenz Koller must therefore end the season early.
01/23/2020 11:39
Online since today, 11.39
–
–
–
After a mistake at the beginning of curve twelve, the accident took place on Wednesday evening for the Austrians who had been successful on the road so far. In the following fall, Steuer suffered a broken tibia and fibula in her left foot. His Untermann Koller got bruised and horrified in the accident.
After the apparently challenging first aid, the 25-year-old tax was transported on the spot to the hospital in Riga, where, according to the association’s information, the leg was brought into position and fixed during a 90-minute operation. It remains to be clarified whether there are ligament and tendon injuries. The ÖRV tried to transfer the Vorarlberger to Innsbruck quickly on Thursday morning.
“Setback for the whole team”
The season ends prematurely for the team that was last in top form. Steu / Koller had won silver in the double seater and gold in the team relay at the just finished European Championships in Lillehammer. “Even if crashes are part of racing, it was quite a shock for all of us. It is bitter for them and a setback for the entire team, ”said ÖRV head coach and sports director Rene Friedl. “It is important that we get Thomas home as soon as possible, where he is received by our team of doctors.”
After a difficult start to the season – Koller had only had to remove bone splinters from an elbow in the run-up to winter – the duo had continuously worked their way up to the top as third in the World Cup. After the World Cup victory in Altenberg, the duo also showed their top form at the European Championships. “It is incredibly bitter. We had only just fought our way back after my injury, were great on the way and now that. Thomas was in a lot of pain, I was extremely sorry for him, ”said Koller.
The World Cup scheduled for February 14-16 in the Sochi Olympic Ice Channel will now take place without the medal candidates. “It is extremely tough that we have to miss the World Cup and end the season early,” said Koller. Yannick Müller and Armin Frauscher, who are currently 15th in the World Cup, are now Austria’s greatest hope for top positions in the two-seater.
–
–
