“Surgery is unavoidable”
Ski racer seriously injured after fall
12/28/2024 – 10:21 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Bitter news for the Swiss Ski Association and Josua Mettler: The downhill skier suffered serious injuries during his training fall in Bormio and is likely to be out for a long time.
On Friday, Swiss ski racer Josua Mettler fell during training on the Stelvio slope in Bormio. A day later it was clear: the 26-year-old was seriously injured – both knees. The Swiss association Swiss-Ski announced this in an official announcement on Saturday afternoon.
The statement says: “The investigations at the Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich revealed a practically identical injury to both knee joints. Each tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, tear of the medial ligament and the medial meniscus.” On platform
Walter O. Frey, team doctor for the Swiss association, stated that Mettler now had to undergo surgery. “An operation on both knee joints is unavoidable and is already planned for next week,” he emphasized.
Mettler wasn’t the only athlete who fell on the Stelvio slope on Friday. The Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin suffered the same fate. He even had to be taken away by helicopter and treated in the intensive care unit. He was subsequently diagnosed with a subdural hematoma – a hemorrhage near the brain. Sarrazin underwent surgery and was subsequently in an artificial coma. He is now conscious again, as the French association announced on Saturday (read more about this here).
The Italian Pietro Zazzi also fell during training in Bormio. Like his colleagues, he also suffered a serious injury. Zazzi broke both his tibia and fibula.