According to former overall World Cup winner Paul Accola, ski star Cyprien Sarrazin could have avoided his serious fall in the Alpine World Cup in Bormio.
“It’s Sarrazin’s own fault, he drove over that edge much too uncontrollably. As a downhill skier you really have to eat up an edge like that,” the Swiss rumbled in “Blick”.
Cyprien Sarrazin fell badly on December 27th during the final training for the downhill race in Bormio. Among other things, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, which required immediate surgery. He also sustained additional injuries to his shoulder, knee and ankle.
He now has a long rehabilitation ahead of him. We’re talking about “months and not weeks,” said French team doctor Stéphane Bulle. Sarrazin’s season is definitely over.
Alpine skiing: Sarrazin’s future in the World Cup is questionable
When asked whether the 30-year-old could continue his career, Bulle replied: “I have absolutely no idea where this will lead. I can’t tell you. But it’s definitely our goal.”
In addition to Sarrazin, other ski racers have also recently suffered serious injuries in falls, including superstar Marcel Hirscher, who tore his cruciate ligament during training.
Accola is convinced that “many athletes train incorrectly in the summer.” He explained: “There is a lack of holistic training. Many racers place the greatest importance in the weight room on getting their thighs really thick. But that doesn’t make the ligaments any thicker. And when they lift their dumbbells, they are always in the good position . But when you fall backwards on the skis, other forces come into play and that’s why, as in Marcel Hirscher’s case, the cruciate ligaments so often tear.
That’s why ski superstar Odermatt is the “big exception”
Accola criticized the majority of ski professionals “not being able to handle the element of snow properly” because, even in their youth, they “train almost exclusively on a perfectly prepared track in the gates.”
“That’s why they are overwhelmed later when a World Cup slope suddenly has bumps or holes,” said the 57-year-old.
The “big exception” was Olympic champion Marco Odermatt, emphasized Accola. The 27-year-old “spent a lot of time skiing in powder snow or on the mogul slopes during his childhood,” praised Accola.