Shock moment for Karoline Offigstad Knotten: The Norwegian biathlete sustained serious injuries in a fall while riding her bike in Lillehammer on Sunday.
The 27-year-old made her violent crash public via Instagram. The attached picture shows broken sunglasses and a battered bike helmet.
“A terrible idea how it would have turned out if I hadn’t worn a helmet,” wrote Knotten, thanking him for the support.
Accompanied by her friend Lotte Lie, who competes internationally for Belgium, the biathlete was cycling on the shore of Lake Mjøsa when the fatal fall occurred.
“I don’t know anymore what happened,” Knotten commented on her accident in an interview with “Nordic magazines“. Her face was covered with blood, as evidenced by images published on the Internet.
Ultimately, however, she was lucky in misfortune. “Lotte Lie took me to the emergency room. I have no broken bones, but a concussion, a black eye and superficial injuries,” said the ski hunter.
Nevertheless, Knotten now has to stop training for a few days, which she can then only resume under the supervision of the Norwegian national team doctors.
Biathlon: Knotten has no memories of her crash
The 27-year-old is still unable to reconstruct how the fall could have happened in the first place.
“There were no cars, Lotte just told me that there was a bit of gravel on the road,” explained Knotten, who was able to leave the hospital and is now back home.
In March, the winter athlete celebrated the second podium finish of her career at the World Cup in Otepää (Estonia).