Austrian settles the score
Ski star Schwarz: “Physically and mentally incredibly difficult”
12/23/2024 – 4:16 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Marco Schwarz has fought his way back from a torn cruciate ligament. However, things didn’t go as hoped at the slalom in Alta Badia – the ski star was also annoyed with himself.
Felix Neureuther said on ARD when Marco Schwarz hit the slopes in Alta Badia: “Take your time, dear Marco, after the injury story. It’s nice that you’re back.” The Austrian made his comeback last week after tearing his cruciate ligament and now wanted to get started in Italy. However, the slalom didn’t go as hoped for the 29-year-old; he dropped out after the first run – and was visibly frustrated.
After arriving at the finish four seconds behind the leader, Schwarz drove straight out of the finish area and just wanted to get away. He later told the Swiss newspaper “Blick”: “When you’re injured and find a slope like that, it’s incredibly difficult physically and mentally.”
The condition of the slopes sparked major discussions among the athletes on Sunday. Even giant slalom winner Marco Odermatt didn’t want to ride because of the condition (you can read more about the criticism of the FIS here). The external conditions were still an issue on Monday. Schwarz found that the runway was “brutally broken”. His high starting number, 19, didn’t do anything good either: “It’s a shitty situation. That just doesn’t feel good.”
However, Schwarz also admitted that he was out of shape due to his long injury break: “I lack self-confidence. When you’re insecure and your body doesn’t cooperate, it’s difficult.” The ski racer can take a deep breath over the holidays. The Alpine riders continue with the downhill race on December 28th in Bormio.