Former ski world champion Alexander Schmid is on the slopes with a different mindset after his second cruciate ligament tear.
“I just converted it into feeling a bit grateful that I can just be at the start again – no matter what happens, to have the necessary relaxedness,” said Schmid in the BR24Sport podcast “Pizza & Fries” with Felix Neureuther and Philipp Nagel.
The 2023 parallel world champion tore his cruciate ligament again last December. Unlike when he first tore his cruciate ligament at the beginning of March 2023, both menisci were affected – and for another reason, Schmid took more time on the way back this time.
“As top athletes, we actually want to get back as quickly as possible and that was my motto after the first one. After my second cruciate ligament tear, I said to myself: ‘No, I don’t want to go back as quickly as possible, I want to come back as healthy as possible,'” said the 31-year-old. His goal was to ski “pain-free.” “I’m doing everything I can to achieve that and that’s why I want to do really good rehab.”
At the World Cup opener in Sölden last weekend, Schmid achieved a decent 27th place. “It was a gift that I was allowed to be at the start at all,” said Schmid. The next giant slalom of the Olympic winter is scheduled for the end of November in Copper Mountain (USA).